Nancy Ellen Nye

Nancy Ellen Nye, 74 passed away on October 7, 2016 surrounded by her loving family. She was born on August 2, 1942 in Waltham, MA to the late Bertha Read Jordan and James Victor Jordan. Nancy was preceded in death by her sister, Judith Diane Rhodes. Nancy was raised in Newton and continued residing there while raising her family before moving to Sandwich. As children, she and her sister, Judy spent memorable summers in Wellfleet with their parents, uncles, aunts and cousins. Nancy is survived by her husband Gerry, her children Betsy Nordman of Sandwich and Jamie Nye of Wellfleet as well as her grandchildren, Olivia and Andrew Nordman and Jordan and Charlie Nye.

Nancy graduated from Newton High School and The Chandler School for Girls. She started her career working for Honeywell and went on to be the Secretary at The Grace Church and Beth Eden Baptist Church and the Administrator at The Second Church of West Newton.

Nancy’s greatest joy in life was being a mother to Betsy and Jamie. She absolutely adored being a Grandmother to Olivia, Andrew, Jordan and Charlie. These roles gave her the most happiness. She taught them the true values in life through her natural acts of kindness and generosity. She was known for her selfless acts by consistently giving to people in need, especially the older people in her community and church. Generous with her time, Nancy volunteered at the A.I.M. thrift shop, the Wellfleet Historical Society and the Wellfleet Masonic Halls at her favorite Wednesday night dinners.

Nancy loved being with her friends and family. She was a true “people person.” She continued spending time with her devoted friends from high school. Her infectious giggle will be missed by all who knew her. Her playful personality made her a favorite of children.

She loved houses, architecture, decorating, antiques and scavenging for treasures. In addition to bringing beautiful carpets and furnishings back from her time living in India, in true Nancy fashion, she also brought home an abused dog. Throughout her life, she continued giving homes to many animals in need. Nancy traveled widely in her life, but felt most at home in Wellfleet, where she had the best times of her life. She adored spending time at the cottage with her parents, children grandchildren, sister, niece and her beloved friend, Essie.

Nancy will be greatly missed by her family and many friends. In addition to her husband, children, and grandchildren, Nancy is survived by her daughter-in-law Helmi Heyliger, her niece and nephews Heidi Ganss Harris and John and Tim Ganss as well as her many cousins.

The family would like to extend their sincere gratitude to the devoted staff at Harbor Point in Centerville for the loving care they provided to Nan.

Visitation for family and friends will be held from 3-7 pm on Thursday, October 13 at Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home, 154 Route 6A, Sandwich, MA. A service of remembrance and celebration of Nancy’s life will take place on Sunday, October 23 at 1:00 at The First Congregational Church, 200 Main Street, Wellfleet, MA.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association, 480 Pleasant St. Watertown, MA 02472 or at www.alz.org/manh

For online condolences, please visit www.nickersonfuneral.com