Obituary of Nancy Marie Henschel

Nancy Marie Henschel passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, November 26, 2014. Born on July 23, 1956, in Mineola, NY, she was the daughter of the late John Henschel Jr. and Lilyan Marie (Dodge) Henschel.

Nancy is survived by her loving mother, Lilyan; her brothers and sisters-in-law, John (Jack) and Yasmin, James and Lois, Peter, and Timothy and Michelle; and her nieces and nephews, Christopher, Theodore, Jessamyn, Alison, Joseph, Tyler, and Maya. She is also survived by her grandniece Ava; her Aunt Dorothea Dodge and Uncle William Judge; her Dodge family cousins Lynn, Brian, Mary Katherine, Maria, James, Christine, Brendan, James Tyler, Megan, Edward, Nancy, Skye, James, Karen, and Darren; and her Henschel relatives.

Nancy leaves behind her dear friends, including Keith McHenry, Francine Miller, Amy Samelson, Jamela Stevens, and Melissa Fisher, as well as many other wonderful friends. She is remembered fondly by everyone who shares her lifelong commitment to the ideals of equality, brotherhood, and peace.

A graduate of Dover-Sherborn High School in Dover, MA, Nancy went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in English from Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. For many years, she lived and worked in New York City, where she was employed as a Legal Assistant at HSBC Bank.

Nancy had a remarkable ability to find solutions and move forward when faced with challenges, a quality she applied not only to her personal life but also to her community and political endeavors. She volunteered with several organizations dedicated to advancing social causes she held dear, including the New Jersey and New York Chapters of Citizen Action, the Castillo Theater, and the All Stars Project of New Jersey and New York.

Nancy was an exceptional writer, a lover of the shore, music, and live theater, and an adept solver of crossword puzzles. She was known for her quick wit and ability to deliver quips that were both clever and kind. As a friend, Nancy had the rare gift of making those around her feel truly heard and valued. Her presence will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a charity of your choice or to one of the organizations that held special meaning to Nancy: the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (www.mskcc.org), the American Diabetes Association (www.diabetes.org), or the ALS Association (www.alsa.org).