Nancy H (H) Nelson

QUINCY - Nancy Hobart Nelson, age 91, died on April 30, 2019 at the Tippett House in Needham. She was born in Quincy to Merrill and Marjorie (Nobbs) Hobart. She was the older sister to her brother, Dick. Throughout her childhood, she attended Quincy Public Schools, graduating from Quincy High School. She graduated from Westbrook Junior College, then a women’s college, in Portland, ME.

After college, Nancy worked at a medical laboratory until she met and married Andrew W. Nelson, Jr., also of Quincy. They had four children: Gretchen, Andrew, Christopher, and John,  while living in Marblehead, Natick, and Concord, before moving back to Summit Ave in Quincy. Nancy was a devoted member of East Congregational church in East Milton for many years. She served as a deacon, choir member, Sunday school teacher, and cast member/production staff for numerous church sponsored musical theatre productions. Choral singing was one of her great passions. She sang Alto with the John Oliver Chorale, associated with the Tanglewood Festival Chorus and was a founding member of the Quincy Choral Society. She shared a love of tennis with her husband and held numerous board positions at the Quincy Tennis Club over time. Once in Florida, Nancy continued to play tennis into her 80s. Nancy returned to the working world in the early 1970’s holding Administrative Assistant positions at James H. McManus Company, Thayer Academy, Milton Academy and the MBTA, from which she retired in 1991.

Upon retiring, Nancy moved to Pelican Cove in Sarasota, Florida for 25 years. She happily called this her “time in the sun”. She settled in quickly and built a large social circle. Over seventy people attended her 70th birthday party! She enjoyed the company of Tom Saffell, her great, good friend and regular companion for dinner and socials.

Continuing a long family tradition, Nancy rented a beach house on Cape Cod every summer during her Florida years, welcoming children and grandchildren for swimming, sailing, fishing, and exuberant family dinners.

In 2017, Nancy returned to the area and had most recently been a resident at The Heritage in Framingham.

She is survived by her children: Gretchen and Ronald Rosoff of Framingham, Andrew and Margret Nelson of Roslindale, Christopher and Anastasia Nelson of Norfolk, VA and John and Susan Nelson of Olney, MD, eleven grandchildren, five great grandchildren and three nephews. She was pre-deceased by her husband, Andrew Waldemar Nelson, Jr. and her brother, George Richard Hobart.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to East Congregational Church, Milton MA or The Church of the Covenant, Sarasota FL. 

The graveside funeral is pending for 1:00 PM this Saturday May 4th at the Mount Wollaston Cemetery in Quincy, MA, by Poplar Avenue and Sea St.

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