Nancy “Nan” Morris Mathey, 92, passed away peacefully at her Exeter residence on February 2, 2021. Nan was born December 4, 1928 in Orange, New Jersey to Robert Clarence Morris and Mildred Town (Morris). She was blessed to have two happy marriages: first to Richard “Dick” Durand (married in 1951) and then, following Richard’s passing in 1988, to George R. Mathey (married in 1989), who passed away in 2020.
Candy Haydock will never forget the first time she met Nan Mathey. It was a 1981 summer day in Ipswich, Massachusetts and as Candy pulled into the driveway off of Old England Road she was struck by the sight of a tall, wiry woman in dirt-splotched blue jeans cruising from behind the garage astride a lawn tractor.
“I was, like, who is this woman?” Candy recounts, laughing.
Such was the power and presence of Nan Mathey, a committed friend and philanthropist who loved family, neighbors, and spending quiet evenings in conversation with a cigar and a brandy in each hand (in that order).
“Nan was a strong, independent woman,” says Candy. “She loved hosting and was happy to have everyone be together. If I had to describe her approach to life it would be this: be strong, be funny, and make the most of each day.”
Celebration and camaraderie permeated Nan’s life. From the Fourth of July get-togethers in Ipswich filled with hamburgers, fireworks, and a parade of grandchildren to the annual Montana family excursions, Nan found fulfillment in the serene visages of nature and joy with the people she treasured most in the world at her side to share in them.
This passion for the outdoors and togetherness was reflected in Nan’s transformational gift of $1 million for SELT’s forthcoming Center for People and Nature – now called The Mathey Center for People and Nature.
“Nan’s generosity will be felt for generations,” says Brian Hart, Executive Director of SELT. “The Mathey Center for People and Nature will be a wonderful embodiment of all that Nan held dear – friendship, fellowship, education, and conservation. She will be dearly missed, but her spirit and legacy will endure.”
To honor Nan’s deep appreciation of nature and committed philanthropy, a celebration of life will be held in the spring at Burley Farms in Epping, NH, a place Nan enjoyed and where she chose to honor her late husband George.