Nancy Gordon

Nancy Gordon

Amherst, MA - Nancy Morehouse Gordon, a 65-year resident of Amherst, Massachusetts died May 16th at the age of 99 after a life well lived. The daughter of Edward and Anna Morehouse, Nancy was born in January 1926 in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Winnetka, Illinois, Madison, Wisconsin, and Princeton, New Jersey. She always considered herself as being from Madison, Wisconsin.

She attended Bryn Mawr College followed by graduate work at Yale University, culminating in a Ph. D in history in 1955. While attending Yale, she met and married fellow history graduate student Harold J. Gordon Jr. Together, they lived in the Washington, D.C area and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before settling in Amherst for the long haul. During their time in Amherst, they had the opportunity to spend two year-long periods and one 6 month period in Bavaria where they carried out historical research.

During her life, Nancy filled many roles and pursued many interests regardless of whether these fit society's norms for a woman of her generation. These roles and interests included being a wife and mother who managed a busy household and raised three children. They also included being an effective college instructor and a skilled writer, editor, and translator who produced many works ranging from newspaper articles and reference work entries to complete books. Later in life, she pursued additional education in a new field, receiving an MS in forestry from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She became a licensed forester in Massachusetts and Maine and produced forest management plans for numerous woodlands, including her own. She was also active in local politics. She was repeatedly elected to represent her precinct in Amherst's representative Town Meeting, something that she continued into her nineties. And she loved animals and worked to help stray animals in her community as president of the Friends of Amherst Stray Animals non-profit organization.

Beyond these things, she filled additional roles as the need arose. When she needed a barn, she became a carpenter; when she wanted a new chimney, she became a mason; when the car broke down, she became an auto mechanic. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this special woman was her ability and willingness to pick up a book or article and learn what she needed to know to accomplish her goal.

Living to 99, she was predeceased by many relatives and friends including her parents, husband, and brother (Ward Morehouse). She is survived by her three children, Betsy Sullivan (Joel) of Eden Prairie, MN; Ned Gordon (Janet) of Madison, CT; and Rich Gordon (Mel) of Salem, MA; her stepsister Margery Collins (Joel) of Springfield, VT and stepbrother Ben Collins (Joyce) of Reno, Nevada; and four grandchildren - Julie Gordon, Brian Gordon, Harry Sullivan, and Drew Gordon (Elizabeth).

A memorial service will be held September 27, 2025 from 2PM to 4PM at the First Congregational Church at 165 Main Street in Amherst, Massachusetts.