Lebanon County PA Archives Obituaries.....Richardson, Nancy October 13, 2010 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Sharon S. M. shabodeho@aol.com October 15, 2010, 3:31 pm Published in Lebanon Daily News on October 15, 2010 Nancy Richardson LEBANON Nancy Gordon Richardson was born Ann Pendleton Gordon on December 22, 1917, in Winnetka, Ill. As the fifth and last child of social activist, Janet Somerville (Sheldon), and Chicago attorney, George Wadsworth Gordon, Nancy took, created, and enjoyed every opportunity to make the world around her and in many distant countries a better place. She resided in Gettysburg for more than 60 years, during which time she raised a family of four children and was an active member of the community. Her husband of nearly 50 years, Norman Egbert Richardson, was Chair of the Philosophy Department and a teacher at Gettysburg College. In 2005 Nancy left the home she and Norman built on Oak Ridge, when she moved to Country Meadows of West Shore in Mechanicsburg. Declining health prompted a recent move to Cedar Haven in Lebanon, where she died peacefully of cancer on Wednesday, October 13, 2010. From her childhood years until about six years ago, Nancy spent most summers in a cottage on the northern shore of Hamlin Lake, between Manistee and Ludington, Mich. During her childhood, it was a magical place where local Indians lived in the woods and sold things they made along the roads. Mail was delivered by boat until the early 1960's. Because her husband, Norman, was able to take off much of the summer, the family normally spent most of their summers in Michigan, where Nancy's mother was a major presence. Nancy's father also came to "the lake" when he could take time away from his job (and golf game). Favorite activities there were fishing, sailing, and picnics at the sand dunes on Hamlin Lake and on the beach at Lake Michigan. While attending Skokie Country Day School and New Trier High School, Nancy excelled in basketball and field hockey. Like her mother, an aunt (Harriett Sheldon Wells), and two older sisters (Margaret and Jean), Nancy attended Smith College in Northampton, Mass. She graduated in 1939 with a degree in art history, and was an enthusiastic alumna. For the Class of 1939, she was Secretary from 1949 to 1954, Fund Agent from 1964 to 1969, and Chair of Planned Giving from 1971 to 2004. Nancy met her husband, Norman, then an Amherst professor, after one of his guest lectures at Smith College during her freshman year. Norman and Nancy were married in Winnetka in August, 1940, and left a few weeks later for Walla Walla, Wash., where Norman taught philosophy at Whitman College. While in Walla Walla, the first two of their four children, Gordon and Janet Channing, were born. Following the move to Gettysburg in 1945, Nancy and Norman's third child, Norman Christopher (Kit) was born in 1948. Bruce Wells, their fourth child was born in 1954, shortly after the completion of their beloved home on Oak Ridge. Day-to-day life in the home on Oak Ridge revolved around the kitchen, dining room, and living room, as a myriad of guests from local to international students, faculty, visiting lecturers, and friends were present on a regular basis. Nancy was a loving and engaged mother but also was involved with friends, neighbors, the Gettysburg College Chapel, Christ Lutheran Church, and in her later years, the Trinity United Church of Christ, as well as many groups in Gettysburg. Two of her favorite groups were Banderlog, a bridge-playing club, and Over the Teacups, a ladies' club, whose gatherings normally focused on the discussion of recently published books. (Nancy was an avid reader until the past year.) In the 1970's Nancy became active in the Girl Scouts, and served as president of the Penn Laurel Girl Scout Council. She was a director of the Adams County Library, and served as Chair its board. She also was active in and was a supporter of the League of Women Voters, Adams County Hospice, Project León in Guatemala, the AAUW, the annual CROP Walk for Hunger, Adams County Martin Luther King Committee, the Adams County SPCA, and Planned Parenthood. A sabbatical leave in 1959 made possible a family summer camping trip through Europe that concluded in Oxford, England, where most of the family resided for a year and to which they returned every sabbatical year thereafter. Nancy and Norman traveled extensively throughout England, Spain, Italy, India, Russia, and China. For 10 years they chaperoned groups of college students during a month-long January term course, "Five European Capitals." One of Nancy's last foreign trips was to Nicaragua, where, at the age of 82, she visited León, Gettysburg's adopted sister city. Her final trip abroad was to Spain. In addition to travel and community activities, Nancy enjoyed reading, opera (before her hearing failed), cooking, and a life-long relationship with Springer Spaniels. Reflecting her interest in cooking, Nancy put together a cookbook that contains about 75 of her favorite recipes, gathered over the years from friends and family, and handwrote copies for all of her family. Nancy is survived by Gordon Richardson of Boston, Mass.; Janet (Jean) Frick of Lebanon; Kit Richardson of St. Paul, Minn.; Bruce Richardson of Free Soil, Mich.; five grandsons; and six great- grandchildren. Plans for an event celebrating Nancy's life and her many contributions to the Gettysburg community have not been finalized. She will be interred with Norman, the love of her life, and other family members during a private ceremony in Michigan. Family and friends wishing to honor Nancy's life are encouraged to send donations in her memory to the Nancy G. Richardson Named Endowment Fund, c/o Adams County Library, 140 Baltimore St., Gettysburg, PA 17325. Published in Lebanon Daily News on October 15, 2010 This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/pafiles/ File size: 6.2 Kb