Nancy E. Scanlon

Nancy Elizabeth (Cleary) Scanlon, 73, of New Fairfield, CT, wife of the late Donald G. Scanlon, passed away peacefully on Sunday, December 7, 2025, after a brief but courageous battle with cancer, leaving a void her family will never be able to fill.

Nancy was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1952 to Mary and Thomas Cleary, and spent her childhood surrounded by the warmth of her beloved siblings, Noreen and Tom. She attended St. Edmund High School before earning her bachelor’s degree at Hunter College, and later proudly completed her Master’s in early childhood education at Brooklyn College. Teaching was not just a career for Nancy…it was a calling. She poured her heart into her students for many years and found great joy in her work with children at the New Fairfield Library.

While in college, Nancy met her soulmate, Don, the love of her life. Their marriage, which lasted nearly 35 beautiful years, was a shining example of true partnership, devotion, and unwavering love. Together, they built a life filled with laughter, loyalty, and an unbreakable bond admired by all who knew them.

Nancy was a devoted mother to her three sons, who were her pride, her joy, and the very center of her world. She often said that being a mom was her greatest accomplishment, and her sons felt that love every single day—through her unwavering support, her gentle guidance, and her endless encouragement. Watching her boys play sports brought her tremendous happiness, and she was incredibly proud to see each of them achieve the rank of Eagle Scout, following proudly in their father’s footsteps.

Nothing brought Nancy more joy than time spent with her family - her sons, her daughters-in-law, and her seven cherished grandchildren. Family gatherings, babysitting, sleepovers spent eating brownies and having fun with her grandchildren, and especially days shared together on Candlewood Lake, were the moments she treasured most.

Nancy was predeceased by her loving husband, Donald; her parents, Thomas and Mary; and her brother, Thomas. She is survived by her sons and their spouses: Brian and Jenelle of Wilton, Connecticut; Michael and Bonni of Danbury, Connecticut; and Thomas and Kelly of New Fairfield, Connecticut. She also leaves behind her adoring grandchildren—Riley, Emerson, Dylan, Rory, Aiden, Colbie, and Madison—and her dear sister, Sister Noreen Cleary of Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Nancy will be deeply missed by her family, her friends, and all those whose lives were brightened by her humor, her kindness, and her boundless zest for life. Her love lives on in every heart she touched.

Friends will be received from 10:00am - 12:00pm on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at the Green Funeral Home, 57 Main St., Danbury, CT.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:00pm on Thursday, December 18, 2025, at St. Edward the Confessor Church, 21 Brush Hill Rd., New Fairfield, CT.

Burial will follow at St. Charles Cemetery, 2015 Wellwood Ave., section 31, Farmingdale, NY.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven, Office of Development, POB 419176, Boston, MA 02214 or The Sisters of Charity - Halifax, 125 Oakland St., Wellesley Hills, MA 02481.