Nancy B. Smith

Nancy B. Smith, 89, passed away in the early hours of January 1, 2024 following a period of failing health, with loved ones at her side. Nancy was born on October 8, 1934, in Keene NH, where she spent most of her life, aside from a brief period in Boston, MA. She graduated from Keene High School in 1952 where she had been a member of the A Capella Choir. Nancy worked at several local concerns during her life including National Grange Mutual, Ashuelot National Bank, Keene National Bank, and Antioch University. She had also worked at MPB Corp where she met her future husband Robert J. Smith. Nancy and Robert had been married nearly 60 years prior to Robert’s passing in 2022.

Nancy was the youngest child of the Barrett family, one of the three “B” families in the area that had been known for their music – the Beedles, the Bagleys and the Barretts. Both her father and grandfather played drums and led brass bands in Keene, with other relatives also playing drums as well as the piano, and the tuba. Nancy continued with her family’s musical tradition via playing the clarinet and singing in choirs during her school years and later in church, as well as fostering the musical development of her children. Nancy also enjoyed art and crafts projects, such as country tin painting.

Nancy was a wonderful homemaker, making the most of her humble home to ensure her family was well fed, clothed, and loved. From rocking a sick child in a chair all night, to typing her children’s term papers, to faithfully attending their musical performances, to getting her family ready for church each week, she was the model of a loving wife and mother. She was a quiet, gentle, reserved person, yet she loved to laugh, and had a frequent twinkle in her eye. She was a lady, in the oldest and best sense of that word. She often hosted family gatherings, including on many a Christmas Eve, where her home was the favored final destination of a group of carolers from her church due to the ample feast that she generously shared.

Nancy had been an active member of Sturtevant Chapel in Keene, where she had been at various times a Sunday School teacher, a Deaconess, a Greeter, and a member of the Hospitality Committee. She and her husband had also attended the Jaffrey Bible Church for several years.

Nancy was preceded in death by her husband Robert, her parents, Philip A. and Mildred W. Barrett, and her sisters Barbara Jenkins and Priscilla Breen. She is survived by her daughter, Lynne Reese of Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania; daughter, Holly Dial and son-in-law Doug of Pasadena, CA; son, Timothy Smith and daughter-in-law Dawn of Keene; brother-in-law, Calvin Smith and his wife Lorraine of Berea, Ohio, along with many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.

Public calling hours with light refreshments will be held at Fletcher Funeral Home, 33 Marlboro Street, Keene, NH, on Monday January 8, from 10:30 to 11:30 AM. Burial will be held privately at Monadnock View Cemetery in Keene.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Monadnock Conservancy or the Sturtevant Chapel.