Obituary of Nancy "Nan" Ridenour

Nancy “Nan” Ridenour, beloved mother, grandmother, wife, sister, and friend, died Monday, April 18^th, at Albany Medical Center in Albany, NY after a courageous battle with leukemia. 

Nan was born Nancy Beth Ridenour on October 24^th, 1952 in Elmira, NY to Mary Jane and David Ridenour.  She was raised in Horseheads, NY and graduated from Horseheads High School in the class of 1970. She received her bachelor’s degree in Speech Language Pathology from SUNY Geneseo and later her master’s degree from the College of St. Rose in Albany.  She made a life and raised her two children, Sam and Sarah, in Stamford, NY, where she worked as a speech therapist for ONC BOCES and Stamford Central School.  She loved working with all children, but her truest calling was as a tutor and advocate

for children with disabilities. She led an equally rich and inspiring life outside of work. She was immensely talented as a soloist and choral singer (from church choirs to Community Chorale of the Catskills), stage performer (from Catskill Community Players to Orpheus Theatre), director (from Catskill Players to the Stamford Central School Drama Club), and choreographer.  She left an indelible mark on the lives of countless students both in the classroom and from the director’s “chair” a.k.a. the SCS auditorium floor. Through the performances she delivered and directed, she taught so many that, as one former student put it, “even in a small town, great things are possible.” She treasured and was treasured by a tight-knit network of her school, church, theater, and choir families, most notoriously, the SCS “Dozenites.”  She had many abiding passions, from birds and wildlife to perennial gardening, from NASCAR (dating back to watching the Bodines on dirt tracks as a kid) to hiking and camping, from genealogy to travel, including her many Florida and Seneca Lake trips.  She was a prodigious Christmas decorator and famous fudge maker. She surrounded herself with blue and white. She toured Europe with her beloved Geneseo Chamber Singers in college. She won a prestigious scholarship to a journalism summer school in high school. She sang her kids to sleep every night and supported them as they grew in unique ways into the considerable talents she had passed on to them. She retired from teaching to help raise her grandson, Elijah, who was the pride and joy of her later years. She loved her husband, Bill, and the life they built together over the last ten years. She had a great sense of humor, a big smile, and a bigger heart. She brought communities and families together. She is gone far too soon, and she will be greatly missed.    

She was predeceased by her mother, Mary Jane, and her father, David Ridenour. She is survived by her loving husband, Bill Hutchison of Albany, NY; son, Sam (Kirsten) Doyle of Slingerlands, NY; daughter, Sarah Austin of Rotterdam, NY; sister, Kris (Bob) Gibbons of Fitchburg, MA; nieces, Katie (Rob) Alexander of Andover, MA, and Annie (Mike) Petroff of Framingham, MA; grandsons Elijah Doyle and Nolan Austin; great-nieces, Leah and Maya Alexander and Emma Petroff; great-nephew, Alex Petroff; step-children, Jay Hutchison, Sarah King, Amy Minor, and Laurel Hughes; nearly-children, Kate Moxham and Heidi Lavan; many special step-grandchildren, cousins, friends, and one very spoiled calico cat.   

Nan died peacefully surrounded by love and the well-wishes, prayers, and fond memories of those she held most dearly. In place of flowers, the family asks that those interested consider donating in Nan’s honor to the following groups, all of which meant so much to her:

-Community Chorale of the Catskills: P.O. Box 25, Halcottsville, NY 12438

-Catskill Community Players: P.O. Box 308, Delhi, NY 13753

-Arthur’s Acres Animal Sanctuary: https://www.arthursacresanimalsanctuary.org/donate

-Leukemia and Lymphoma Society: https://givenow.lls.org/give/394054/#!/donation/checkout

A celebration of Nan’s life will be held on Saturday May 21^st at 11:00am at the First Presbyterian Church of Stamford, 96 Main St. Stamford, NY 12167. All are welcome and will be asked to wear a face covering. 

Please visit www.macarthurfh.com to share a condolence with her family.