Nancy H. Swinchatt left us on August 20, 2021, she was her feisty self right to the end. Born to Noel Richard Hueber, Sr and Mildred Mary (Creegan) Hueber in Syracuse, NY, Nancy spent her early years adoring her older brother Dick. She graduated from Emma Willard and Skidmore College where she was the only drama major in the class of 1958. Nancy had an adventurous life with her dear friend and husband Jonathan, starting in Boston and moving through Oklahoma, New York, Australia, California and finally landing in Connecticut. In 1976 Nancy commented to a friend that she was afraid of large vehicles. He said the best way to get over that was to learn to drive one and took her off to the bus company where he taught her to drive a school bus, leading to a 40 year career driving a school bus in Hamden, CT. Nancy drove the grandchildren of her earliest students before she retired. And she always had a book to read while she was waiting for her students.
She was a talented singer, traveling Europe with the Soneteers of Skidmore when she was in college and later entertaining her children (neither of whom can carry a tune in a bucket) on many long car trips.
She kept her family dressed with her sewing talent and leaves many decorative items she knit, macramed, cross stitched, sewed, and quilted. Long before Google Nancy used books to learn how to fix her washer and dryer, and anything else she could around the house. She worked painting houses in the summer, handling entire houses all on her own. One favorite was a veterinarian friend who was a herpetologist. Her young daughter, trying to entertain herself and fascinated with typewriters at the time, found a snake curled up in one. Whenever her daughters moved into a new apartment Nancy always made the bed so they had a comfort at the end of the day.
After moving to Connecticut the family spent every Christmas and New Years with her in-laws, Pat and Effie Swinchatt. That tradition continued when Pat & Effie moved to Maine full time. Until one year when Nancy was sick and didn’t want to risk making her elderly in-laws ill. Some presents were left in Connecticut and the rest of the family visited the in-laws, returning Christmas day. Nancy cried with joy at having Christmas with her family in her own home, creating a tradition of leaving some of Christmas in Connecticut for just the four to enjoy together. Though Nancy lived with dementia these last few years, she always knew her family and closest friends and her sharp wit showed itself on occasion making her family laugh with great joy. Apologizing to her caregivers her family heard, oh no, she’s hilarious! Great to know she was appreciated.
Nancy will be missed greatly by her constant friend of 63 years Jonathan, her daughters Tara and Siobhan, and her grandson Nickolas, her nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews to whom she was a great friend, and many dear friends as well. The family will remember Nancy privately. As much as Nancy loved flowers, she would hate you spending money on them in her memory, please consider a donation to her favorite charity Heifer International, https://www.heifer.org.
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