McKenna, Nancy Jo (Rush)

Nancy Jo Rush McKenna, 85, of Palm City, FL and formerly of West Hartford, CT passed away on Tuesday, September 21, 2021. She was born in Wheeling, WV, daughter of the late Robert and Louise Thompson Rush. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. Nancy Jo is survived by her husband, Dr. John C. McKenna, son John McKenna, Jr., daughter-in-law Kelly Slater McKenna, daughter Carolyn McKenna, son-in-law Edward Blumenthal, daughter Jane McKenna Schroeder, son-inlaw Louis (Scott) Schroeder, son Christopher McKenna, and daughter-in-law Laura Sullivan McKenna. She is also survived by thirteen grandchildren, Cormac and Morgan McKenna, Caitlin and Elizabeth Fabbri, Noah, Charlotte and Nathaniel Blumenthal, Lauren and Margaret Schroeder, and Lila, Claire, Peter and Ian McKenna, and her sister Judith Rush Hanmer and brother-in-law Henry Hanmer.

Nancy Jo attended The MacDuffie School, Bradford Junior College and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; she was a proud Tarheel all her life. She was always up for adventure; Nancy Jo and John traveled extensively, starting their married life in Germany and exploring all over Europe. Nancy Jo was very involved in her community as a member of the Junior League of Hartford, the Garden Club of West Hartford, book clubs, and endless PTOs. When her children learned to ski, so did she, and the family spent many years at Stratton Mountain, VT. There, she loved the camaraderie of her wide group of friends from Longmeadow, MA, which grew to include many other families and friends. She also learned to play golf as an adult, and spent time playing not only with John,

but also many longtime and new friends. Nancy Jo and John moved to Harbour Ridge in Palm City, FL later in life, and she enjoyed a community that embraced

them and was full of life, fun and golf. Nancy Jo was thoughtful and elegant, passionately loved her family, and was never too busy to have any of her children or grandchildren visit, treating every single one like they were the most special.

A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, November 24th at the Church of Saint Peter Claver, 47 Pleasant Street, West Hartford, CT. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to BrightFocus Foundation to support Alzheimer’s disease research at brightfocus. org.

Arrangements are being handled by The Ahern Funeral Homes, Inc. To send online condolences to the family,

please visit www.ahernfuneralhome.com.