Nancy Irwin, 81, of Pelham, NH, died Monday July 21, 2014 at Pleasant Valley Nursing Center in Derry, NH, after a period of declining health. She was born in Stoughton, MA, June 13, 1933 and was a daughter of the late Louis and Christina (Jackson) Hanks. She was a direct descendant of Abraham Lincoln and was named after Lincoln’s mother, Nancy Hanks. She moved to NH in 1970 and was a resident of Londonderry from 1981 until she relocated to Pelham in 2010.
At the time of her retirement, Nancy worked at Delta Education. In her younger years, she was active in the 4H Club and spent a few summers as a Junior Counselor. She showed her patriotism as a young girl by helping her mother clean and make up cots at the local canteen for traveling servicemen during WWII. Nancy was proud of her Scottish heritage and went to several Highland games with her husband. She was a member of the Clan Gordon and traveled to Scotland, where she visited her mother’s birthplace.
Nancy enjoyed quilting, crafts, oil and towle painting, but her greatest love was her children and grandchildren. She was a longtime member of the Londonderry United Methodist Church, and the Londonderry Seniors where she served on the Elder Affairs Committee. She was also a member of Board of Directors of Nutfield Senior Housing in Derry.
She is survived by five children and their spouses, Janice White of Reading, MA, Carol and Joseph Grace of Lowell, MA, Diane and Bertram Cohen of Andover, MA, Sandra and Steven Massey of Warrenton, VA and Edward and Michele Irwin of Manchester, NH, 15 grandchildren and numerous great grandchildren, a brother, Louis Hanks of CA., several nephews, a niece and cousins. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Edward J. Irwin in 2003 and by grandson, George Sumner in 2003
After cremation, she will be buried next to her husband on Friday, July 25, 2014 at 1:30pm at the NH State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen. A memorial service will be celebrated Saturday the 26th at 11:30am, at the Londonderry United Methodist Church, 258 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, NH 03053. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Londonderry UMC at the address above.