Nancy Dean Felch

Nancy Dean Felch, a travel professional and world traveler, died at age 87 on April 20, 2013 at Carmel Valley Manor in Carmel, California. Born in Sag Harbor, New York on August 8, 1925, she was the daughter of Howard Brush Dean and Maria Fayhs (Cook) Dean. She was raised in New York City and Sag Harbor. After attending Miss Chapin’s School and graduating from Miss Porter’s School in Farmington, CT, she graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1946.

Nancy Dean met Bill Felch in New York and they were married on August 4, 1945 at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in East Hampton, NY. In 1951, Mrs. Felch and her family moved to Rye, NY where her husband practiced internal medicine and she worked as a volunteer chemist at United Hospital. During the 1950s and 1960s, she was actively involved with the United Hospital Twig charity and as a member of the Rye Garden Club. She and her husband lived with their family in Rye for 37 years before moving to Carmel in 1988.

In 1967, Mrs. Felch entered the travel business as a retail travel agent. Over the next 22 years, she worked in the business in Rye and in Carmel. During and after her time in the travel business, she traveled extensively throughout the world, including countries in all seven continents. She was a member of the first U.S. group to travel to mainland China in 1979 with Lindblad Expeditions.

Mrs. Felch is survived by her sons, William, Jr. (Virginia) of Stinson Beach, CA, and Robert (Marianne) of Siasconset, MA; her sister, Marianne Dean Hill of Long Island, NY; four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband of 66 years, William Campbell Felch, who died in Carmel on April 12, 2012; her daughter, Patricia Ann Felch in 2005; her brother, Howard Brush Dean, Jr.; her granddaughter, Sharon Elizabeth Keyser and her step-grandson, Zachary Andrew Clayton.

A memorial service and interment will be held at a future date in Siasconset, MA. Memorial gifts may be made to the Carmel Foundation, P.O. Box 1050, Carmel, CA 93921 or to the donor’s charity of choice.