Family and friends will gather this week to celebrate the life of Nancy H. Sununu, a former New Hampshire first lady whose family has become a political dynasty in the state.
The 85-year-old matriarch, who died Saturday after battling Alzheimer’s disease, was known not only for supporting the electoral achievements of her immediate family members but also for carving her own path of public service.
While her husband, John H. Sununu, served as New Hampshire governor in the 1980s, Nancy Sununu took on the first major renovation of the historic governor’s mansion, known as The Bridges House, and she organized a foundation that raised funds to support sabbaticals for public school teachers, according to a tribute posted by the Remick and Gendron funeral home.
She worked for the Republican Governors Association and the Republican Women’s Federal Forum, and she chaired the New Hampshire GOP in 1980, when Ronald Reagan won the state’s first-in-the-nation primary before winning the presidency, according to the tribute.
She also served as a trustee of Rivier University in Nashua and chaired the school board in Salem.
“Widely rumored to possess almost limitless abilities, Nancy Sununu’s prowess extended to skiing, golfing, and baseball, where her sharp eye at the plate was as keen as her accurate pitch,” the tribute states.
Her eight children include John E. Sununu, who served as a US senator in the 2000s, and Christopher T. Sununu, who is serving as New Hampshire governor now.
“An amazing life of accomplishments, she piloted our family through every day,” the current governor said in a statement Saturday announcing his mother’s death and expressing gratitude to the assisted living facility in Hampton that “made all the difference through mom’s toughest times.”
The news prompted an outpouring of condolences from both sides of the political aisle.
“We lost the very best of New Hampshire — Nancy was smart, classy, a wonderful human, and the powerhouse of a great family,” former US senator Kelly Ayotte said in a statement.
“In Salem, Nancy was a trailblazer on the school board — the first Sununu ever elected to office — and her legacy will live on for years to come,” former New Hampshire Senate president Chuck Morse said in a statement.
Ayotte and Morse are competing for the GOP gubernatorial nomination in Tuesday’s primary election.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen was among the Democrats who shared their condolences.
“She touched many lives in the Granite State, and we send our best to those mourning this loss,” Shaheen said in a statement.
Senator Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah, said in a statement that Nancy Sununu — who supported his presidential bid ahead of the state’s 2012 primary — brought “warmth, laughter and common sense” to her family and the Granite State.
“Her Irish wit and devotion to God, country and family will long live in Ann’s and my memories,” he said, including his wife in his statement.
A native of Dartmouth, Mass., she was the daughter of Edward and Eleanor Christie Hayes, two educators in the Brockton school system. Nancy graduated from Boston University.
In addition to her husband of 65 years and her sons, Christopher and John, Ms. Sununu leaves six other children: Catherine, Elizabeth, Christina, Michael, James, and Peter; and 16 grandchildren.
A funeral Mass will be held at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Theresa’s Parish in Rye, N.H. Burial is private.
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Steven Porter can be reached at steven.porter@globe.com. Follow him @reporterporter.
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Publish date : 2024-09-09 06:08:00
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