Nancy Irwin, 81, of Pelham died July 21, 2014 at Pleasant Valley Nursing Center in Derry, after a period of declining health.
She was born in Stoughton, Mass., on 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 New Hampshire in 1970 and was a resident of Londonderry from 1981 until she relocated to Pelham in 2010.
At the time of her retirement, she worked at Delta Education.
In her younger years, she was active in 4-H Clubs 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 World War II. She 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.
She enjoyed quilting, crafts, oil and tole painting. 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 the Board of Directors of Nutfield Senior Housing in Derry.
She is survived by five children and their spouses, Janice White of Reading, Mass., Carol and Joseph Grace of Lowell, Mass., Diane and Bertram Cohen of Andover, Mass., Sandra and Steven Massey of Warrenton, Va., and Edward and Michele Irwin of Manchester; 15 grandchildren; numerous great-grandchildren; a brother, Louis Hanks of California; several nephews; a niece and cousins. She was predeceased by her husband, Edward J. Irwin, in 2003 and by a grandson, George Sumner, in 2003.
After cremation, she will be buried next to her husband on Friday, July 25, at 1:30 p.m. at the New Hampshire State Veterans Cemetery in Boscawen. A memorial service will be celebrated Saturday, July 26, at 11:30 a.m., at the Londonderry United Methodist Church, 258 Mammoth Road. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Londonderry United Methodist Church at the above address, Londonderry, NH 03053. The Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium of Derry and Londonderry are assisting the family. To send a condolence or for more information, visit www.peabodyfuneralhome.com.