Nancy A. Gendimenico

Nancy leaves behind her beloved and devoted life partner for 17 years, Peter Conrad, whose love for her was/is boundless and with whom she shared so much; Peter’s loving daughter Jenny, who benefitted tremendously, professionally and in so many other ways, from Nancy’s insightful advice, mentorship, friendship and love; Jenny’s fiancé Josh Hemley, whom Nancy knew early on was the right guy for her; Nancy’s five loving siblings, for whom she cared immensely, Frances (Robert) Kaufmann, Marie (Dennis) Kirchdoerfer, Gerald (Eileen) Gendimenico, Rosalie (Aaron) Gendimenico and Michael (Sandy) Gendimenico; and, her seven cherished nieces and nephews, Jenny Fisher, Brian (Lisa) Kirchdoerfer, Laura (Gregg) Kaufmann Arst, David (Sarah) Kaufmann, Robert (Lizzie) Gendimenico, Tim (Nicole) Gendimenico and Christine Gendimenico.

Nancy also leaves behind countless precious friends, many of whom had relationships with her spanning decades. With her winning ways, Nancy knew how to make and keep friends like no other, and she brought joy to them all. We all should be so lucky to have so many wonderful people in our lives as did Nancy.

Having graduated Penn State in 1975 with a degree in fashion merchandising, Nancy had a successful career in retailing, where she worked as a buyer for Bloomingdale’s and Lord & Taylor, among other giants of the industry. She later moved into executive positions in marketing and brand licensing with United Media, where she handled blockbuster children’s entertainment properties including the Peanuts© and Garfield©, working directly with their creators Charles Schulz and Jim Davis; the BBC; and, finally, Champion Athletic Wear, a division of Hanesbrands, Inc. Following her retirement from Hanesbrands, Nancy established her own firm, Elan Brand Licensing LLC. At around the same time she was tapped as an Encore fellow and worked for several years in the non-profit sector, utilizing her marketing skills to build brand awareness and fundraising.

Nancy’s true passion was not business, it was her writing. While working full-time, Nancy entered an MFA program in creative writing at SUNY-Stony Brook and earned her degree in 2015. She was a truly gifted writer and her personal essays and articles have been published in literary journals and various on-line publications. For more about Nancy’s background and to read her work, go to www.nancygendimenico.com.

Beyond work, Nancy was known for her wide range of interests. Culturally, she was as savvy as it gets. You could count on Nancy for the latest in art, music, theater, film, literature and restaurants. Nancy even followed sports. She was an accomplished yogi, hiker and cyclist, as well as an adventurous traveler.

Until her illness this Spring, Nancy was rarely sick and never hospitalized. In May, she was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. Treatment began immediately at Memorial Sloan Kettering. Unfortunately, the disease was at a late stage when discovered, which is not unusual for this type of cancer, particularly in the US where it is relatively rare and routine endoscopies are uncommon. Nancy fought courageously but succumbed to the cancer on November 8, with Peter, his daughter Jenny, and Nancy’s niece Laura, all at her bedside at Calvary Hospital. Nancy will be missed enormously and never forgotten by those who knew and loved her, most of all Peter.