Ann Haines Aldous

Ann "Nancy" Haines Aldous, 83, of Damascus died after a brief illness April 12, 2025, at Medstar Georgetown University Hospital.

Born in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of William Henry Haines III and Charlotte Ullom Haines.

Nancy moved to Montclair with her family as a child, where she attended Watchung School, Mount Hebron Jr. High, and the Kimberley School. In the summers she spent time at camps in New Jersey and New Hampshire, where she became a lifelong tennis fan (and where as a teenager she purportedly snuck into the bar to watch the US Open).

Nancy graduated from Colby Jr. College and then from George Washington University where she majored in Sociology and was involved with the University Players. In 1966 she married Gene Aldous and in 1969 they made Damascus their home.

Nancy was a fierce advocate for Montgomery County throughout her entire life. She took great pride in her position as Constituent Services and Outreach Specialist for Montgomery County council members Mike Subin and Mike Knapp. As such, she served as a liaison to the Upcounty and was passionate in her support of the Ag community and Ag Reserve issues.

Nancy was tireless in her commitment to organizations that bettered her community. A partial list of organizations is as impressive as she: the League of Women Voters, Damascus Help, multiple PTA's, the Damascus Library Advisory Committee, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Students Against Drunk Driving, Montgomery County Library Advisory Board, Citizens for Maryland Libraries, Sandy Spring Friends Meeting, Keep Montgomery County Beautiful, Master Planning Committee for Damascus, The Dwelling Place, the Sandy Spring Museum, Community Reach of Montgomery County and Red Wiggler Community Farm.

Most recently, Nancy served as a teacher's assistant at Community Reach's ESOL program for adult immigrants and took great pride in the accomplishments of her students. She was never happier than having a child on her lap with a book and on sunny days could be found reading to children at the Gritty Explorers Summer Program at Love & Grit farm.

Nancy loved to travel, visiting practically every state, most provinces of Canada, New Zealand, much of Europe, and a week or two most summers in Quonochontaug, RI.

There was never a baby that crossed her path from whom she could not coax a smile. She became the fairy godmother to many, never forgetting a birthday (usually remembered with a book) and always enjoying their life milestones as if they were her own.

Nancy taught her sons to read voraciously, to say please and thank you, to love nature and music and to be grateful. She had a life-long love affair with books, art, swimming, sports, good tea and coffee, and most of all her late husband, Gene.

Those who knew her will never forget her smile, her wit, her sass, her kindness and generosity, her curiosity, her passion for music and theater and flowers and birds and her unique texting abbreviations.

Nancy is survived by her sons, Travis Aldous (Jane Aldous) of Clarksburg, MD and Bradley Aldous of New York, NY; her grandson Chase Aldous of Charlotte, NC, her sisters Katharine Haines of New York, NY and Julia Haines (Rosanne Fox) of Ashokan, New York, as well as many cousins and incredible friends.

A celebration of life will be held in late June. In lieu of flowers, donations should be made to Red Wiggler Community Farm or to Imagination Library of Montgomery County, MD in her name.