Nancy Carol Clarke

1938 - 2025

Nancy Carol Clarke

Peterborough, NH - Nancy Carol Clarke, 87, of Peterborough, passed away peacefully on May 21, 2025, at Langdon Place of Keene, NH with her daughter by her side. Nancy was born in Norwalk, CT on April 29, 1938, and was the eldest daughter of William French and Carol Ann (Morehouse) Jones.

Nancy grew up in Darien, CT, and lived with her mother and maternal grandparents until age 7 while her Dad fought in WWII. Nancy attended Darien public schools and later graduated from Mount Holyoke College, class of 1960. While at Mount Holyoke, she met Bradford W. Ketchum, Jr. whom she would marry in 1962. They moved to St. Paul Minnesota, where Nancy taught 2nd grade at The Summit School for Girls before settling in New Jersey where they started their family. Nancy was very involved in her local community where she volunteered for several nonprofit organizations. Nancy, Brad, and family settled in Hancock, NH in 1975.

After divorcing in 1977, Nancy began working at The First National Bank of Peterborough as their Customer Service Officer, spending nearly 20 years with FNBP (later to become Granite Bank), making many lasting connections throughout the community.

In 1994, Nancy began working at Monadnock Community Hospital as an Administrative Assistant and the Volunteer Coordinator in the Philanthropy Community Relations Department. Nancy loved the hospital as it felt like family to her. During this time, she also served one year as President of The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce. After retiring from MCH, Nancy continued to be a hospital Ambassador and Volunteer.

Nancy, known fondly as a "people person," engaged with everyone she'd met, eager to make them feel welcome, acknowledging their contributions to the community, and the impact they made. Nancy loved being social, whether it was catching up over coffee, a glass of wine at Bowling Acres, or a Pizza Barn sub, she was happiest being with friends and family.

Nancy loved books, art, music, antiques, and sports, thanks to years of watching the Patriots, Red Sox, and Celtics with her son, Brad. She loved traveling and a highlight was her tour of the National Parks she took early into retirement. Nancy was a voracious reader, relished old movies, playing word games, and trying out new recipes.

Nancy enjoyed singing and was a member of the All Saints Episcopal Church choir for many years. Nancy also joined The Monadnock Chorus in 1979 and later became Treasurer as she participated in several concerts over the years.

While Nancy's life was filled with abundant joy, she faced - and overcame - many challenges over the years, tackling each with courage and determination - losing an infant child, enduring 2 divorces, beating breast cancer, surviving a serious boating accident, and successfully rebounding after a bad fall on a "bucket list" trip to Hawaii.

Nancy always found the strength and will to move forward with great resilience and grace. After losing her Hancock home and everything she owned to fire in the winter of 2006, she found solace on Long Hill Road in Peterborough where she lived very happily until her declining health this past March. Always a fighter, her final life challenge proved to be too much of a match and she died in peace with her heart full of love.

Nancy is survived by her son, Bradford W. Ketchum, III, and wife, Joan; her daughter, Amy M. Theriault, and husband, Bill; and her six grandchildren, Taylor, Ethan, Will, Emma, Oliver, and Amelia, all of whom she loved "more than anything else in this world." Nancy is also survived by her ex-husband and friend to this day, Brad Ketchum Jr.; brother, Bill Jones Jr., and wife Gretchen; sister, Susan (Jones) O'Keeffe, and husband, Rich; and brother-in-law, Diederik van Renesse, and many nieces and nephews. Nancy is pre-deceased by her son, Timothy Morehouse Ketchum; her parents, William F. and Carol A. Jones; her sister, Kathryn (Jones) van Renesse; and her dearest friends, Doc & Fran Eggers and Nancy & Linn Perkins, collectively, her pillars of strength.

Nancy's family would like to thank Langdon Place of Keene for the incredible care she received during her brief time there along with her team of knowledgeable and thoughtful nurses who tended to every need and concern. Thank you so very much for allowing our mother to leave us with grace, love, and dignity - you helped make all the difference.

Nancy will be missed deeply, both by her community and her family who loved and cherished her with the same unconditional love she always gave to them.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Nancy's name to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Monadnock Community Hospital, and the Peterborough Town Library.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday, July 13th, 2025 at the Monadnock Country Club from 1:00-4:00 pm. All are welcome.

To share a memory, or to leave the family a message of condolence, please visit Nancy's tribute page at www.jellisonfuneralhome.com