Nancy K. Mahan

Born, and raised, in New Haven, CT, Nancy Jeanne was the second daughter, and youngest of three children.

In February 1954, she married the boy-next-door, William Thomas Mahan, in St. Brendan’s Church. She moved next-door to Bill when she was 5 years old. After their marriage, she joined Bill in Aberdeen, Maryland at the Aberdeen Proving Ground where he was stationed. Upon an honorable discharge from the Army in September 1954, they returned to Connecticut. In 1957 they moved to Fresh Meadows (Flushing), Queens, NY. In 1962 Nancy and Bill moved to New City with their 3 children, Bill Jr, Keith, and Lauri.

Nancy and Bill enjoyed traveling on land and sea via cruises and land excursions, visiting many parts of the world: Europe, Asia, the Mediterranean, and the Holy Land. Among the cruises there were several family cruises that went to the Caribbean. They also traveled throughout the U.S. including Hawaii and Alaska. When off the shores of Greenland, they held a memorial service for Nancy’s cousin, near where he had been washed overboard while serving in the U. S. Coast Guard during WWII. On a trip to Ireland, they visited the homestead of Nancy’s paternal grandmother Anne in Mohill, County Leitrim, where she met cousins for the first time.

In Dec. 1998 Nancy retired from the New City Library, and was an avid genealogist, researching her ancestry, and that of her husband. She was very proud of her heritage, - Irish on her father’s side, and Connecticut Yankee on her mother’s side. She traced her lineage back to Charlemagne and many grandsires who arrived in Massachusetts from Dorchester, England on the Mary and John in 1630, and were Founders of Windsor, CT. ‘The Higleys and their Ancestry’ (Pub.1895), her 6th great-grandfather Capt. John Higley, the first Higley to come to America, arrived in CT from Frimley, England in 1666.and settled in Simsbury, CT. His mother was Katherine Brewster, of the Mayflower Brewster’s. Nancy also learned in her research that Princess Diana, Winston Churchill, and Ulysses S. Grant were her cousins.

In 2000, Nancy was accepted into the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Shatemuc Chapter, and was a member of the Connecticut Society of Genealogists, the Wm. E. DeBevoise American Legion Auxiliary Unit 1682 in New City, where for many years, she served as Vice-president.

Nancy was predeceased by her best friend and husband of 69 years (‘Cowboy’) Bill, in January 2023. She was also predeceased by her sister Jean Susanne, who died in infancy, her beloved parents, and her special brother John.

Nancy was very proud of her family and is survived by sons: Professor William T. Mahan, Jr. and Keith R. Mahan, daughter Lauri J. Foley, son-in-law, Dave Foley, and 3 wonderful grandchildren: Calder T. Mahan, James W.J. Mahan, and Maura K. Mahan. She is also survived by many special nieces, nephews, grandnieces/nephews, and great grandnieces/nephews.

Funeral arrangements are by Michael J. Higgins Funeral Service, New City, NY. At Nancy’s request, services will be private. Burial will be at Fred Loescher’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the NY State Veterans Home at Montrose, 2090 Albany Post Road, Montrose, NY 10548-1454 or a charity of choice.