Nancy Rougvie

Nancy Anne Rougvie, a lifelong resident of and advocate for Smith Hill in Providence, Rhode Island, died on Thursday, July 4, 2024 at Wingate Residences on Blackstone Boulevard, surrounded by loved ones.

Born in Brookline, Massachusetts in January of 1933, Nancy was the only child of the late Dorothy Morrill and Capt. Andrew W. Rougvie. Moving to Providence, R.I., closer to the Rougvie family, Nancy’s father joined his father, brothers, and other family who worked for Brown & Sharpe Manufacturing Company along the Woonasquatucket River. Her family served in the foundry in different capacities, until the armed services drafted her father and two uncles, to serve in World War II. After her father died in July of 1945 in Kunming, Kuenming Shiqu, Yunnan, China, Nancy and her mother moved in with her father’s mother and father on Jewett Street. After World War II, Nancy graduated from Hope High School and served as a bookkeeper and clerk for several organizations, including R.I. Supply and Engineering Company and Domestic Petroleum, Inc.

Nancy held fast to several things throughout her life: She was a Scot through and through, a lifelong “Smith Hill-er,” a forever Baptist, a loyal friend, and one who loved numbers and crafts. Nancy was a constant learner, an industrious genealogist, a faithful family historian (She and her cousin, Jerry, took many trips to cemeteries and the gravesides of family in Rhode Island and Massachusetts over the years), and she was a constant advocate for those in need.

Nancy would remain in Smith Hill for most of her life, moving only blocks when she did move - from Jewett Street to Zone Street to Ruggles. In addition to living in Smith Hill, she advocated for those who lived alongside her. Her involvement in many non-profit outreaches marked Nancy’s life. Primarily, Nancy worked for the Providence Community Action Program (ProCAP), a non-profit cooperative housing organization for 29 years, serving first as the Housing Coordinator, then Housing Resources Coordinator, before retiring after 17 years as its director.

Nancy was a member of the American Baptist Church, worshipping at United Baptist Church on Smith Street, then Emmanual Baptist Church, and finally, The First Baptist Church in America on North Main Street. In her youth, she was the State President of Baptist Youth Fellowship of the Rhode Island Baptist Convention. She was a founding member of “The Butterfly,” a neighborhood store where people could sell hand-craft items as a source of income. She was a member of the Providence Anti-Arson Coalition, the Mayor’s Anti-Arson Task Force, the AIMS (Arson Information Management System) Committee, and the Refugee Steering Committee (a coalition of people working with the Indo-Chinese population). Nancy’s later years focused primarily on housing, including the Refugee Housing Subcommittee, the Family Selection Committee of Habitat for Humanity, RI, Inc., the Landlord/Tenant Mediation Group, and the RI Community Reinvestment Association. She became involved in the Urban Task Force of the R.I. State Council of Churches. In 1985, during its state convention, Nancy wrote and presented a resolution to the Social Concerns Committee of the American Baptist Churches of RI (representing 78 Baptist churches) on Hunger, Poverty, and Housing. Other agencies with whom she worked included Elmwood Neighborhood Housing, Project BASIC, DHS/Smith Hill, Providence Police, Capitol Hill Language Center, Providence Preservation Society, the Providence 350 Festival, Providence Human Relations, Congressman St. Germain, the United Community Church, Lao Association, PawSox, DCF, Displaced Homemakers, DPIA, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, MURAG, Indochinese Advocacy Project, Foundry Project, and the Furniture Bank. We are sure the list is not exhaustive. Please leave stories and information about Nancy in the comments. We would love to hear from you, her family and friends!

Nancy is survived by cousins Andrew F. Rougvie of New Castle, Delaware, and Alice M. Rougvie of Sierra Vista, AZ, Pauline and Jerry Muller, Ingrid Muller, and Kirstin (Muller) Leeder of Rhode Island, as well as cousins in Massachusetts. Nancy faithfully sent a Rougvie family newsletter for more than 35 years! She was a lifelong friend to the Stack family, the Twitchells, the Gehrenbecks, O’Rourkes, Lusignans, the Jones’, the Goodwins, Madeline Tramontano, Paul Hurlbert, Jim Miller, Warren Adams (deceased) and family, and Phil Barnett (deceased), … and so many more families.

She loved lobster rolls! She loved turkey dinners at Greggs. She cut out coupons for family and friends every week (but sometimes didn’t get them to you until some coupons had expired). She cut out articles from the Providence Journal and gave/sent them to friends, near and far – one of the ways she let you know she cared about you. She loved Rhode Island, especially trips to the shore and visits to Iggy’s. She ate beans and franks on Saturday nights and sent Christmas cards with old family photos and stories of Rougvies, Welshs, Nisbets, and Morrills. She collected Red Rose Tea Wade figurines and pink depression glass. And over these last few years and final moments, while Nancy’s memory declined, her quick wit and independence never failed her. The Wingate CNAs, staff and nurses loved Nancy’s spunk! She held her own in conversations, enjoying social moments, bagpipes, prayers, and cherished memories of family. You were one of a kind, Nancy, and you will be sorely missed.

Friends and family are invited to attend funeral services at Russell J Boyle Funeral Home on 331 Smith Street, Providence, RI 02908 on Saturday, July 13, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. to celebrate Nancy’s life. Burial will follow in Highland Memorial Park Cemetery, 1 Rhode Island Avenue, Johnston, RI 02919. There will be no calling hours. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Habitat for Humanity, Providence (donation link below) in honor of Nancy’s lifelong service of providing housing for those in need. (Please add “Nancy Rougvie” in the memo line.)