Nancy Louise Raymond

Nancy leaves behind her husband of 56 years, Larry; her sons Alex and Sean and their wives Laura and Marisa; her beloved grandsons, Owen and Zachary; her sisters Rosemary (Ronnie) and Helen; and many cherished nieces, nephews, and extended family around the world. She was predeceased by her brother Robert (Bobby) and niece Patricia (Patty). She was the youngest child of Helen and John Neylon.

Born and raised in Springfield, Massachusetts, Nancy was the youngest of four children. She attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, where she met Larry and graduated in 1969. She lived in many places throughout her life—New York City, Ossining and Montrose, NY, Charleston, WV, Ridgefield, CT, Andover, MA, Geneva (Switzerland), Copenhagen, and, for the past 26 years, Boulder and Breckenridge. She was proud of her Irish roots, filling the house with Irish music, the smell of Irish soda bread, and St. Patrick’s Day decorations throughout the month of March.

Nancy believed in justice, fairness, and kindness. She volunteered as a victim advocate with the Boulder DA’s office, at Community Food Share, with the Boulder County Democrats, and—most meaningfully—at SEGA Girls’ Secondary School in rural Tanzania, where she fulfilled a lifelong dream in her sixties. She showed us all that it is never too late to do something extraordinary.

Adventurous to the core, Nancy climbed Mount Kilimanjaro at 61, hiked Breckenridge’s Peak 6 at 70, skied, traveled the world, and even earned her motorcycle license. She took pleasure in playing bridge, reading books with potato chips and a glass of diet Pepsi (with lots of ice cubes), talking politics, fondue dinners, sitting with her son’s dog Dash, and cooking for friends—especially her famous artichoke pasta. She loved being playful and silly with her grandsons Owen and Zack on her visits to see them in France

Nancy's life was about people. In addition to her dedication to her family, Nancy surrounded herself with lifelong friends, her "Vixens", and anyone who needed a hand. She twice gave up her house, to help friends affected by the Lyons flood and the Marshall Fire.

In recent years, Nancy lived with Alzheimer’s, and her family is deeply grateful to the entire staff at Sunrise of Boulder for their care and compassion.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, August 18 at 1pm at Crist Mortuary in Boulder. This will be followed by a celebration of life in Springfield, MA in October (details TBD).

Nancy was an incredible person who made the world a better place. She will be missed more than words can say, and remembered always for her simple wisdom: “Just be nice to everybody.”

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the SEGA school in Tanzania (nurturingmindsinafrica.org/donate) or the Emergency Family Assistance Association (efaa.org).

Please join us Monday, August 18th at 1:00pm for Nancy Raymond service through livestream:

https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/index.php?data=MTc1NTUzMDYzNTE3MTkzMjQmb25lcm9vbS1hZG1pbiZjb3B5X2xpbms=