Nancy Seeley Gilliland

Nancy Seeley Gilliland
1932 - 2025
Nancy Seeley Gilliland, 93, died peacefully, of natural causes, on July 3, 2025, at her home in Fairfield, CT, where she lived all of her adult life.
Born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on June 22, 1932, to William Parker Seeley and Helen Wheeler Seeley, Nancy was a graduate of The Baldwin School in Bryn Mawr, PA, and Smith College, where she majored in English and minored in Piano, developing a lifelong love of classical music.
After many years of devoted volunteer work, Nancy began her professional career in her mid-40s, when she became the Development Director at Fairfield Country Day School and led the school's 50th anniversary capital campaign. She held the same role at the Barnum Museum from 1987 to 1991, and then at Planned Parenthood of Connecticut, where she worked for fifteen years, until her retirement in 2006, at age 75.
Prior to her professional journey, Nancy was deeply engaged in community service. She served as the first female President of the Board of Trustees of the Pequot Library in Southport, CT, and as President of the Board of Directors of Fairfield-based Near and Far Aid, where she continued to serve as a member of the Advisory Directors Council. She also served on the boards of Family Services Woodfield (later known as LifeBridge Community Services), 3030 Park, and the Junior League of Eastern Fairfield County.
Nancy was a longtime member of the Garden Club of Fairfield, following in the footsteps of her mother. She was also active in the Smith College Club and, until recently, hosted regular teas for The Bridgeport Ladies Charitable Society.
A lifelong member of the Fairfield Beach Club, Nancy enjoyed time spent with friends on the porch, overlooking Long Island Sound, and frequently hosted candlelight dinners for family and friends. As founding members, Nancy recounted stories of her grandfather and his friends travelling by horse-drawn carriage from Bridgeport to choose the site for the club.
She played tennis recreationally and was a dedicated sports enthusiast. She avidly followed professional tennis, the UConn women's basketball team, the New York Knicks and Yankees, and Yale football. She was also a season ticket holder of the Yale men's hockey team, a tradition close to her heart, as both of her brothers, Bill and George Seeley, and her father, all attended Yale. Her maternal grandfather, George Wakeman Wheeler, graduated from Yale Law School, and went on to become Chief Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court.
Nancy's love of music remained a constant throughout her life. She played the piano, listened to classical music daily on the radio, attended concerts, and for many years sang in the Trinity Chorale at Trinity Church in Southport.
Her other interests included needleworking, gardening, and hiking all over the world, but her greatest passion was traveling, having visited all seven continents with family and many dear friends. She relished taking her children and grandchildren on formative trips to Europe and especially enjoyed the summer the entire family could schedule a trip together to Africa.
An avid reader and intellectual, Nancy never missed an issue of The London Review of Books, The New York Review of Books, or The New Yorker. She was a faithful viewer of the PBS NewsHour, a devoted NPR listener, and a fan of everything Masterpiece Theatre had to offer.
Nancy and her husband, Sam, were married for 41 years and shared many happy memories raising their four children in Fairfield. After Sam's death in 1994, Nancy found companionship and continued adventure with Sidney Postol, with whom she shared travels and cultural activities.
Her seven grandchildren were her greatest delight. She rarely missed a school play or a sporting event and was a familiar presence on the sidelines. Never one to mince words, she decried the fact that grade school sports would often end in a tie, remarking that "someone had to lose."
A generous and gracious hostess, Nancy enjoyed entertaining, especially during the holidays, when she warmly welcomed anyone without a place to go. Adding a 35th Thanksgiving dinner guest didn't faze her for a minute.
Known for her sharp wit and strong opinions, she leaves behind a legacy of what her grandchildren affectionately refer to as "Nancy-isms," among them, "let's not get too sentimental." She was exceptionally involved in their lives and never hesitated to offer constructive criticism or say, "you might give some thought to…"
Nancy will be missed for her keen intellect, her dedication to her children and grandchildren, and, above all, her love for family, and friends she cherished.
Nancy is survived by her four children: Peggy Gilliland (Mike Pegan) of Charlottesville, VA, Sam Gilliland (Beth) of Greenwich, CT, Sally Gilliland (Dan Lawler) of Brooklyn, NY, and Jeffrey Gilliland (Emily Kaufmann) of Las Vegas, NV. She also leaves behind her two brothers, Bill Seeley (Liz) and George Seeley (Sue), seven grandchildren, and two step-grandchildren.
The burial will be private and there will be a celebration of life at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, http://ppsne.org. To send an online condolence, please visit www.shaughnesseybanks.com .