Obituary for Nancy Ann Grant (Thayer)
Nancy Ann (Thayer) Grant, 89 of Nashua, NH died on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at Courville of Nashua.
Born July 25, 1929 in Worcester, MA she was the daughter of the late Richard D. and Barbara (Chapin) Thayer and granddaughter of the late Rev. and Mrs. Frederick D. and Mary Thayer and Mr. and Mrs. Arthur B. and Bertha Chapin. She was also predeceased by her children, Douglas H. Grant, Deborah A. Grant and Stephen “Steve” R. Grant, as well as her brother, Allan R. Thayer and her brother-in-law, Harold Hodge.
Nancy was a graduate of Major Howard W. Beal Memorial High School in Shrewsbury, MA. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Clark University in Worcester, MA in 1951 and a Master’s Degree in Library Science from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana in 1980.
Nancy began her library career as a 16 year old page in the Shrewsbury, MA Public Library. In 1976 she began working for Southeastern Indiana Area Library Services Authority based in the Bartholomew County Library in Columbus, IN first as a clerk then as a reference librarian. She taught reference classes to staff in some of the smaller libraries in rural Indiana. In 1984 she came to Nashua, NH to be the Reference Librarian at the Nashua Public Library. In 1989 she was appointed by the Board of Library Trustees to Supervisor of the General Adult Services Department. At the Nashua Public Library she developed more extensive Interlibrary Loan services and an HIV/AIDS collection. Before her retirement in April of 2005 she was a member of the American Library Association and an active member of the Indiana and New Hampshire Library Associations.
Nancy was a member of the Pilgrim Congregational Church UCC in Nashua for many years and was active in the church serving on many committees, teams and task forces. She was also active in the Hillsborough Association and the New Hampshire Conference of the United Church of Christ. She also served as a delegate to the General Synod of the United Church of Christ. She was extremely involved with HIV/AIDS and OPEN AND AFFIRMING issues. She was also a founding Member of the New Hampshire Chapter of PFLAG (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays).
Nancy’s hobbies included playing dominoes, reading, swimming, travel and knitting. She enjoyed the staff with whom she worked and the patrons she served.
Survivors include her beloved guardian angels, Chris Maynard, Paul Farmer, and Travis Catello, all of Nashua; her daughter-in-law, Rochelle M. Grant; three grandchildren, Andrew S. Grant, Wendy Renee Grant and Cheryl Ann Grant; one great-granddaughter, Arianna Mansfield, all of Virginia Beach, Virginia; one sister, Joan Thayer Hodge, of Northborough, MA; nephews, nieces, grandnieces and grandnephews; Barbara Hodge of St. Louis, MN, Susan Thayer Peterson and Sigurd Robert Peterson, their children, Edward Sigurd and Robert Peterson of Centerville, Ohio; John Thayer of Springfield, VA and his daughter Sarah of Natick, MA; James and Natalia Thayer, of Framingham, MA and their children Kelly Thayer Martin and her husband Armando, of Worcester, MA, Brian Thayer of Framingham, MA and Erica Thayer, of Worcester, MA. She is also survived by her friends Dante and Elizabeth Bacani of Chicago, IL.
Services: There are no visiting hours. A Memorial Service in Nancy’s honor will be held on Saturday, June 29, 2019 at 11:00 AM @ Pilgrim Congregational Church, UCC on Watson St in Nashua followed by a luncheon in the churches parish hall. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Burial will be held privately at Edgewood Cemetery in Nashua. Donation in Nancy’s loving memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association/MA Affiliate, 40 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01710, American Cancer Society, Centralized Processing Center, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01710, Southern NH HIV/AIDS Task Force, 12 Amherst St., Nashua, NH 03060 or the Pilgrim Congregation Church, UCC, 4 Watson St., Nashua, NH 03064.
Born July 25, 1929 in Worcester, MA she was the daughter of the late Richard D. and Barbara (Chapin) Thayer and granddaughter of the late Rev. and Mrs. Frederick D. and Mary Thayer and Mr. and Mrs. Arthur B. and Bertha Chapin. She was also predeceased by her children, Douglas H. Grant, Deborah A. Grant and Stephen “Steve” R. Grant, as well as her brother, Allan R. Thayer and her brother-in-law, Harold Hodge.
Nancy was a graduate of Major Howard W. Beal Memorial High School in Shrewsbury, MA. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Clark University in Worcester, MA in 1951 and a Master’s Degree in Library Science from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana in 1980.
Nancy began her library career as a 16 year old page in the Shrewsbury, MA Public Library. In 1976 she began working for Southeastern Indiana Area Library Services Authority based in the Bartholomew County Library in Columbus, IN first as a clerk then as a reference librarian. She taught reference classes to staff in some of the smaller libraries in rural Indiana. In 1984 she came to Nashua, NH to be the Reference Librarian at the Nashua Public Library. In 1989 she was appointed by the Board of Library Trustees to Supervisor of the General Adult Services Department. At the Nashua Public Library she developed more extensive Interlibrary Loan services and an HIV/AIDS collection. Before her retirement in April of 2005 she was a member of the American Library Association and an active member of the Indiana and New Hampshire Library Associations.
Nancy was a member of the Pilgrim Congregational Church UCC in Nashua for many years and was active in the church serving on many committees, teams and task forces. She was also active in the Hillsborough Association and the New Hampshire Conference of the United Church of Christ. She also served as a delegate to the General Synod of the United Church of Christ. She was extremely involved with HIV/AIDS and OPEN AND AFFIRMING issues. She was also a founding Member of the New Hampshire Chapter of PFLAG (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays).
Nancy’s hobbies included playing dominoes, reading, swimming, travel and knitting. She enjoyed the staff with whom she worked and the patrons she served.
Survivors include her beloved guardian angels, Chris Maynard, Paul Farmer, and Travis Catello, all of Nashua; her daughter-in-law, Rochelle M. Grant; three grandchildren, Andrew S. Grant, Wendy Renee Grant and Cheryl Ann Grant; one great-granddaughter, Arianna Mansfield, all of Virginia Beach, Virginia; one sister, Joan Thayer Hodge, of Northborough, MA; nephews, nieces, grandnieces and grandnephews; Barbara Hodge of St. Louis, MN, Susan Thayer Peterson and Sigurd Robert Peterson, their children, Edward Sigurd and Robert Peterson of Centerville, Ohio; John Thayer of Springfield, VA and his daughter Sarah of Natick, MA; James and Natalia Thayer, of Framingham, MA and their children Kelly Thayer Martin and her husband Armando, of Worcester, MA, Brian Thayer of Framingham, MA and Erica Thayer, of Worcester, MA. She is also survived by her friends Dante and Elizabeth Bacani of Chicago, IL.
Services: There are no visiting hours. A Memorial Service in Nancy’s honor will be held on Saturday, June 29, 2019 at 11:00 AM @ Pilgrim Congregational Church, UCC on Watson St in Nashua followed by a luncheon in the churches parish hall. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited to attend. Burial will be held privately at Edgewood Cemetery in Nashua. Donation in Nancy’s loving memory may be made to the American Diabetes Association/MA Affiliate, 40 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01710, American Cancer Society, Centralized Processing Center, 30 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01710, Southern NH HIV/AIDS Task Force, 12 Amherst St., Nashua, NH 03060 or the Pilgrim Congregation Church, UCC, 4 Watson St., Nashua, NH 03064.