Nancy Pinkerton Regan

Nancy Pinkerton Regan, 78 died peacefully on Sunday, July 12, 2020 at the Springmoor Life Care Retirement Community in Raleigh, NC surrounded by her family. She had been a resident there since January, 2005 suffering from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy an incurable fatal neurological disease.

She was born October 31, 1941 in Schenectady, New York, daughter of the late David Conrad Pinkerton and Marion Briney Pinkerton of Lynchburg, Virginia.

She and her husband, David R. Regan, were married on April 18, 1964 in Syracuse, NY. She is survived by her husband, three children; Michael D. Regan and his wife, Stacey of Raleigh, NC, Catherine R. O'Leary and her husband John, of Rochester, NY and James T. Regan and his wife, Kerry, of Wake Forest, NC, and eight grandchildren; Jackson D. Regan, Julia S. Regan, Kelsey N. O'Leary, Morgan C. O'Leary, Liam P. O'Leary, Colin T. O'Leary, Kaitlyn E. Regan and Jacquelyn P. Regan.

She is also survived by her siblings; brother Thomas D. Pinkerton (wife Becky), Warrenton, VA, sister Virginia P. Lundeen, Wilmington, NC, and brother Charles C. Pinkerton, (wife Deborah), Portsmouth, NH and several brothers and sisters-in-law, nephews, nieces, and cousins.

Nancy was born the first of four children. She grew up in Syracuse, New York, went to college at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, graduated in 1963 with a BS in Math, and went to work as a computer programmer for the General Electric Company in Syracuse, NY. There she met her future husband, Dave. After marriage, Nancy resigned her job to raise their family, Mike, Cathy, and Jim.

Nancy became an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) and ECCT (Emergency Cardiac Care Technician) followed by satisfying the requirements to become a Registered Nurse in 1979. She worked in the Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Room of two hospitals for 7 years. In 1984, she started to design and build by herself a 4 bedroom lakeside cottage on Cayuga Lake in New York State. It was completed in 1987. A short story, "The Empty Nest Project", tells about that project. In 1986, Nancy was offered and accepted a job at IBM, in Owego, NY. In 1991, she received her Master's degree in Systems Science from SUNY in Binghamton, NY. She worked full time at IBM in Endicott, NY for 15 years. She retired in October 2003.

With time on her hands again, Nancy started a business called "Nancy's Needles" in 1994 and has sold many different handmade items on consignment in several shops. She had also combined computer and stitching skills to create cross stitch patterns from photographs. She had many additional interests including hiking, snow/water skiing, boating, traveling, music, theater, square and round dancing, board and card games, and arts and crafts.

Volunteerism was an important part of Nancy's life wherever she lived. She was active in Girl Scouts, as an EMT in local Rescue Squads, and as a religious education instructor, Eucharistic Minister, Lector, and Stephen Minister at her local churches. Her most joyful moments were spent at her cottage on Cayuga Lake, where she spent her free time with family and friends. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother who will be missed by all.

Services for Nancy will be private. She will be interred at the St. Francis of Assisi Memorial Garden.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to Habitat for Humanity, the Springmoor Endowment Fund or to a charity of their choice.

The family would like to offer special thanks to the staff at Springmoor Stewart Health Center and to Dr. Wells Edmundson for their professional and loving care.