Nancy Eileen Wilde

Nancy Eileen Crowley Wilde, 82, of Newton, MA (formerly of Simsbury, CT), died on April 14, 2020, due to COVID-19. She was preceded in death by her husband, Peter R. Wilde, in 1997. She is survived by her five children and eleven grandchildren: Lisa Wilde of Ellicott City, MD (husband Philip Vilardo and their son Gabriel); Thomas Wilde of Wellesley, MA (wife Julie Passante and their children Boone, Callahan, Tate, and Cecelia); Elizabeth Foody of Bloomfield, CT (husband Paul Foody and her children Leo, Simon, and Annabelle Aber); Christopher Wilde of Portland, ME; and Eileen Brackenbury of Wellesley, MA (husband Jesse Brackenbury and their children Henry, Oliver, and Eve). She is also survived by her siblings James Crowley, Patricia Jobes, Lillian Harpin, Mary Crowley, and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother Terry Crowley. Nancy was born in Van Buren, ME, to James and Laura Pratt Crowley. During World War II, she moved with her family to East Hartford, CT. Nancy was voted the best combination of brains and beauty in high school. She graduated from the University of Saint Joseph in 1959 with a degree in math. Nancy met her future husband, Peter, at her job at the Connecticut General Life Insurance Company. They loved to dance, and their children would later nickname them Fred and Ginger. The Wildes raised their children in Simsbury, CT, where Nancy became very involved in the Simsbury Runners, culminating in one of her proudest achievements when she completed the New York City Marathon in 1983. In 1985, the Wilde family relocated to New Canaan, CT. In 2016, Nancy moved to Massachusetts to be closer to her children. Nancy loved to travel and traveled all over the world. She will be remembered for her dry New England wit, her beautiful blue eyes, her impeccable style, her passion for Broadway musicals, and her absolute love for her children and grandchildren. A service will be held at a later date. Contributions can be made in Nancy Wilde's name to the University of St. Joseph, 1678 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford, CT 06118, or to the Wilde Fund at Westminster School, 995 Hopmeadow Street, Simsbury, CT 06070.