Passed away peacefully at the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital on March 17, at the age of 87.
Nancy is survived by her sister Sandra (Don), her children Kathleen (John), Patrick and Kevin (Keri), her grandchildren Anthony, Kyle (Janessa), Jack, Devin, Austin and Maya and her great-granddaughter Esmeralda. Nancy was preceded in death by her loving husband Tom (2020) and her newborn daughter Angela.
Nancy was born June 2,1936 in Toronto to her parents Marjorie Robinson Publow Seed and William Arnold Seed. She attended Oriole Park School in Toronto, Point Grey Middle School, and Prince of Wales High School in Vancouver. She earned a degree in Education at the University of British Columbia in 1958. While at UBC she was President of the Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority and a member of St. John’s Shaughnessy Anglican Church. After graduation, Nancy moved back to Toronto to teach kindergarten at Brown School. Nancy met her husband Tom shortly after he emigrated to Canada from Northern Ireland in 1959. Nancy joked that she wasn’t sure about Tom at first because his thick Irish brogue was hard to understand. She must have figured him out because that was the beginning of a lifetime romance.
Nancy and Tom were married on July 8, 1964, in Toronto and settled together in St. Catharines where Tom was the rector of St. Columba Anglican Church. Tom’s career would take them to many wonderful parishes and communities over the years. Nancy and Tom moved to St. James, Port Colborne in 1969 with a 4 year old, 2 year old and 3 week old in tow. Busy days! The next move came in 1973 to St. Christopher’s, Burlington, which became the family home for 11 years. In 1984 they moved to St. James, Dundas followed by a move to St. Matthew’s Anglican Cathedral in Brandon, Manitoba in 1987. The last church move was to All Saints, Collingwood in 1992, where Nancy and Tom ultimately decided to retire in 1996.
Nancy lived life to the fullest. Family was very important to Nancy, and she talked fondly of her childhood memories with extended family in Toronto and Picton. Her own family has countless memories of Nancy over the years, some of the happiest being time spent at the cottage in Baysville. Nancy cherished her time at the cottage. She could often be found down on the dock feeding the ducks and listening for loons. Nancy loved animals and always had a loyal dog (or two) by her side. In fact, on one 1500-mile car trip from Manitoba to Ontario she travelled with 2 dogs, 2 cats and a cockatiel that sang the entire trip.
Nancy also valued her years of teaching kindergarten in Toronto and then later in Hamilton. She loved to teach her students about Canada and was very proud of her deep Canadian roots. She was the wife of a clergyman and handled that role with grace, style, and independence. Nancy and Tom made wonderful lifelong friends at all their many parishes over the years. She loved to entertain and enjoyed a good discussion on politics or world events. Nancy was an active member of Probus in Collingwood and served as president for two terms.
Nancy was an accomplished piano player, an avid reader, and a very talented knitter. She would tell you that she and Tom had some unique highlights in their life which included being invited to the White House for afternoon tea, entertaining the Archbishop of Canterbury for breakfast, and meeting the Queen Mother quite by chance while on a family trip to London. Her love of travel began just after graduation on a tour of Europe with her good friend Joan Davidson. Nancy’s travels continued with Tom in their retirement years, when they travelled all over the world as group leaders on organized tours. Nancy travelled as recently as December to Florida, to attend her great granddaughter Ezzy’s 1st birthday. Nancy’s love for life and fierce independence were evident right up until her final days. Nancy was able to live alone in her home with the help of family, friends, neighbours, and personal support workers. Her family is very grateful to all who made it possible for Nancy to live life on her own terms. It takes a village, and we thank you all for being an integral and loving member of Nancy’s village.
A Celebration of Life will be held in the months ahead so please check back for details. Condolences can be sent to 321 Balsam St., Collingwood ON L9Y 5B9. In lieu of flowers, donations in Nancy’s memory can be made to Parkinson Canada. Friends may visit Nancy's online Book of Memories at www.fawcettfuneralhomes.com