Obituary of Nancy Nielson Williams

Nancy Nielsen Williams died at home in Pomfret Center on Sunday (July 29, 2007). Nancy was born in Brooklyn, NY, on October 2, 1939, the daughter of the late Charles and Marjorie (Warner) Nielsen. Nancy received an AA degree from Colby Sawyer College, New London, NH in 1959, and a BA degree from Fitchburg State College. She remained active in alumnae affairs at Colby Sawyer where she served for a period of time as President of the Alumnae Council for which she received The Alumnae Service Award in 2003. Known for her boundless energy and her deep concern for the welfare of others, Nancy devoted her adult life to the care and support of her family and later to the education of young people. She partnered with her husband to lead Lawrence Academy in Groton, MA, demonstrating a level of commitment and compassion that resulted in her receipt with her husband in 2003 of the Founder's Day Award, the highest honor the school bestows. She taught at the Pomfret Community School and the Rectory School in Pomfret, as well as at Robert College in Istanbul, Turkey, always demonstrating an enduring interest in the lives of the students and adults she encountered. Her civic activities included volunteering at The Worcester Preservation Trust in Worcester MA, The Connecticut Audubon Society's Center in Pomfret, and service on the vestry of Christ Church, Pomfret. But it was to her family - immediate and extended - that she devoted the lion's share of her energy. At one point, to counter life's tendency to spread family apart, she created her own "meals on wheels program" - delivering sustenance and good company to different members of the family on a regular basis. Nancy is survived by her husband, Benjamin Williams III, Pomfret Center; and their three sons, Benjamin Williams IV of Carpinteria, CA, Frederick Williams of Oakton, VA, and Joseph Williams of Meriden, NH, and their wives and children. Nancy had nine grandchildren. Nancy is also survived by her siblings, Barbara Nielsen of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Marjorie Rickus of Erie, PA, Richard Nielsen of Brookfield, NH, and Robert Nielsen of Troy, NY, and their families. A memorial service will be held at Christ Church, 521 Pomfret St. (Rt. 169), Pomfret Center at 11 a.m. on Saturday, August 11. Following the service, a reception will be held in the Great Hall of the Church. In lieu of flowers a donation in Nancy's memory may be made to Christ Church, P.O. Box 21, Pomfret, CT 06258.