Nancy MacLeod

New London — Nancy Mae MacLeod, 82, of New London passed away Sept. 11, 2023, at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital after a long illness.

Daughter of the late Rev. Norman M. MacLeod Jr. and Helen L. MacLeod, she is survived by her brother, the Rev. Norman M. MacLeod III of Newport, R.I.; sisters, Jean Kuhn of Denver, Pa. and Catherine Frean of Lancaster, Pa.; as well as several nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews.

Nancy was born Jan. 22, 1941, in Ware, Mass. She grew up in Plantsville, a village in the town of Southington, where her father was pastor of the Plantsville Congregational Church. Nancy graduated from the Northfield School for Girls in 1959. She moved to New London the same year, when her father embarked on a 17-year pastorate at Second Congregational Church. After attending Knox College in Galesburg, Ill., Nancy transferred to Connecticut College in New London, where she graduated in 1963.

After graduation, Nancy first lived and worked in Cambridge, Mass., and then in Washington, D.C, at the Office of Economic Opportunity under Sargent Shriver. Following several years at the O.E.O., Nancy moved to Denver, Colo., where she worked for the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

She returned to New London, and in December 1974 Nancy was hired as a secretary in the Psychology Department at Connecticut College, eventually assuming the position of Administrative Assistant. She retired in 2018. Throughout her more than 40 years at the college, Nancy took enormous pleasure in the friendships she made with students, many of whom stayed in touch long after graduating.

Nancy’s abiding passion was opera. She was hooked after seeing Rossini’s “Barber of Seville” at the Bushnell in Hartford in 1955 when she was 14 years old. After attending a performance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City, she wrote a fan letter to the bass singer, Georgio Tozzi. He and his wife stayed in touch with Nancy for many years, often arranging for tickets to see him performing at the Met. Attending operas in person or at live broadcasts in theaters brought Nancy joy throughout her life.

Nancy was a devoted daughter, a generous sister, a loving aunt, and a faithful friend.

A celebration of her life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 20, at the Harkness Chapel, Connecticut College. Donations in her memory can be sent to the Connecticut Lyric Opera, P. O. Box 21, New London, CT 06320.