Nancy Whittemore Vernot
- Published: February 17, 2011
Nancy Whittemore Vernot died at Friends Care Community on Feb. 13 after a short illness. She was 86.
Nan was born in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 3, 1923, and moved with her family to Millburn, N.J. when she was 3 years old. She attended Millburn schools and, on graduation, went to Oberlin College, majoring in music and French. After graduation, she worked for Save The Children Federation, translating letters from French children and their sponsors. She married Edmond in February 1949. They had five children while living in various New York City suburbs. During their time in Nanuet, N.Y., Nan resumed playing the violin as a member of the Rockland County Symphony Orchestra.
The family moved to Yellow Springs in 1964. Nan suffered a severe stroke in 1965 from which she recovered well, running her household, volunteering at school and Girl Scout activities and singing in the St. Paul Catholic and First Presbyterian Church choirs. She was a loving mother who took pride in the accomplishments of her children and guided them through the uncertain process of growing up. She became a violin student of Mary Schumacher, regaining her musical abilities and playing with some of the chamber groups then active in town.
After their last son left for college, Nan and Ed enjoyed taking vacation trips, sometimes in tent or trailer. They visited all of the contiguous states and most of the major cities in the country. In 1986, Ed lost his job at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and he and Nan moved to Greenbelt, Md. after Ed found work there. Nan resumed singing in the local church choir and played in the Prince Georges Symphony. When he retired, they visited Europe, motoring through England, France, Italy and Switzerland. They particularly enjoyed visiting their children who had scattered across the country.
In 1998, Nan was felled by a subdural hematoma and, once again, recovered amazingly well. That same year, they moved back to Ohio and to Yellow Springs in 2000, as they had always intended. They enjoyed making contact with old friends and joined the Senior Citizen Center, taking part and volunteering in various activities. They continued taking extensive vacation trips until Nan suffered a stroke, necessitating a move to the Friends Care Community, where she resided for four and a half years. She did well there under the caring attention of staff and visits from Ed, children, grandchildren, friends and relatives through her last illness.
Her parents, Laurens and Gladys Whittemore, and a brother, Davis Whittemore predeceased her. She is survived by Ed, sister Jean Harrigan of Tiburon, Calif., son David and wife Pamela of Hamilton, Ohio, son Paul of Charlottesville, Va., son Jonathan and wife Agnes of Fremont, Calif., son Laurens and wife Linda of Huntington Beach, Calif. and daughter Jacqueline Vernot and husband Ray Kotz of Naperville, Ill. She is also survived by grandchildren Benjamin, Julia Brooker and husband Matt, Sarah Schorr, Corey, Andre and Hannah and great-grandson Elijah Brooker.
There will be a funeral mass at St. Paul Catholic Church on Saturday, Feb. 26, at 11 a.m., followed immediately by a reception at the church from noon to 2 p.m. All are invited to pay their respects. Contributions in Nan’s memory may be made to Friends Care Community.
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