Nancy Ann Mein

Nancy Ann McCleery Mein, age 87, passed away peacefully on December 21, 2023, in Middletown, Delaware.
Her life's journey was one of academic excellence and a deep commitment to service. Nancy was born on January 20, 1936, in Waterman, Illinois to Wayne and Ethel (Johnson) McCleery. She graduated from West Aurora High School in 1954. Her father wanted her to become a home economist and lined up a job for her in the test kitchens at Kraft Foods. Nancy then enrolled at the University of Illinois, majoring in Home Economics; however, she graduated with a degree in history, and then went on to graduate school at Cornell University.
Nancy taught history for one year at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. She attended a retreat for Drake students and faculty that would spark a transformative chapter in her life. The leader of the retreat was a member of the Episcopal Order of the Holy Cross, which had a mission in Liberia, West Africa. Inspired by the call for service, Nancy dedicated two years to teaching and living at the Episcopal mission school where there were few books and no library; no access to clean, hot water, and electricity was scarce. There were also pythons, mambas, and boa constrictors!
Nan would go on to change avocations six times and have many other adventures, including hitchhiking through Scandinavia, before the age of 30. Upon her eventual return to the United States, Nancy embraced a life of spiritual devotion, joining the Episcopal Order of St Helena in Newburgh, N.Y., and in 1969 she assumed the name Sr. Mary Thomas.
Nancy's commitment to justice and civil rights was evident throughout her life. She attended her first demonstration in 1954, participating in several marches during the Civil Rights movement in the south. Her first peace demonstration was in 1967, using her voice, guitar, and spirit to advocate for a more just world.
In 1970, Nancy relocated to Lincoln University in England to further her research in English History. There, she encountered Peter Simon Mein. She, a nun and Simon, a monk, gave up their vows and married in 1971. That fall, Nan and Simon embarked on their lifelong careers at St. Andrews School in Middletown, Delaware. Their beloved son Andrew was born in 1973. Together at St. Andrew's, Nan and Simon kept an open house, where all were welcome -especially to their regular "house communions," which were at that stage something new in the life of the school. They exercised a profound influence by their presence on campus, both in their private and public lives; the quiet determination with which they were always prepared to move forward with courage and clarity commended them to successive generations of staff and students.
Nan, the first full-time teaching female faculty member of St. Andrew's, was truly a pioneer. In her career at SAS, Nan initially taught English, quickly moving over to History and Religion. Nan chaired the History Department and introduced new courses, including Western Civilization and History and Culture of East Asia. She was an instrumental member of the Girls Planning Committee when the school was working to introduce coeducation. A force to be reckoned with, Nan served for years as a mentor and counselor to students and faculty alike. Nan retired from SAS in 2003 and moved with Simon to Lewes, Delaware. In 2008, the junior and senior girls' dorm was dedicated to Nan and Simon, now known as Mein Dorm.
Nan loved learning new skills. She enjoyed the art of ornamental blacksmithing, furniture making, and crafting stained glass. She was a passionate and master knitter and a fierce Scrabble competitor.
Nan was predeceased by her parents Wayne and Ethel McCleery; her husband the Rev. Canon Simon Mein, and son Andrew Mein.
She is survived by daughter-in-law Olivia Ringer, son-in-law John Ringer, grandsons Alec and Sean Ringer, sister and brother-in-law Margaret and Gordon Cota, niece and nephew Elizabeth and Matthew Cota, and great niece Naima.
A celebration of life will be held in the A. Felix duPont, Jr. Memorial Chapel at St. Andrew's School, 350 Noxontown Road, Middletown, DE 19709 at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 20, 2024.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Andrew's School, Inc, Make a Gift - St. Andrew's School (standrews-de.org) or the Order of St Helena, Order of Saint Helena | Episcopal | North Augusta, SC, USA (osh.org)