Nancy J. McNamara Lenney, 92, formerly of Potsdam

NAPLES, FL -- Nancy Jane McNamara Lenney, formerly of Potsdam, passed away peacefully under Hospice care in the company of her loving husband William R. Lenney and loving son JC Lenney.

Nancy was born on April 2, 1928, the daughter of John McNamara and Clara Gillespie McNamara. Nancy graduated high school from St. Mary’s Academy in Ogdensburg NY,  earned her Bachelor of Science degree from D’Youville College in Buffalo NY, and later earned her Physician’s Assistant degree from Upstate Medical College in Syracuse NY. Nancy also earned a Masters in Education from Saint Lawrence University. She spent the bulk of her career as a nurse at the Student Health Center at SUNY Potsdam and retired in 1985 as the Director of Student Health.

Nancy married William (“Bill”) R. Lenney on August 14, 1954 at St. Mary’s Church in Potsdam, NY, where she resided until relocating to Naples, Florida in 1985.

Nancy is survived by her husband “Bill”, sons William, Jr., David, JC (Elizabeth) and daughter Julia, her grandchildren Daniel, Allison, Matthew, Will and Donny, brothers Donald McNamara, Daniel McNamara, Michael McNamara and sister Martha Druke, as well as a legion of nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, great grandnieces and great grandnephews.

Nancy was predeceased by her brothers Robert, David, Bernard, Jack, James and Richard McNamara and her sister Doris Thabault.

Nancy and Bill took their children across the United States during their summers off, visiting nearly every State and many National and State Parks from coast to coast. In the late 60s, Nancy and Bill built a camp on Rainbow Flow, and they and their kids enjoyed their camp for many years, where they spent time boating, fishing and water skiing, as well as the weekly Sunday “coffee” hours at their camp and many other camps owned by family and friends along the river.

Nancy and Bill took up snow skiing in their 40s after making the disastrous mistake of buying their kids skiis. This resulted in years of weekly trips to Big Tupper and ski vacations at places like Chanteclaire in Quebec and Jay Peak in Vermont. Nancy and Bill were founding members of the Potsdam Ski Club.

During the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid, Nancy was a volunteer on the Medical Staff for the US Olympic Committee and she and Bill attended many Olympic events that year.

Nancy was very sociable and loved and enjoyed her life and was possessed of a tremendous positivity and sense of gratitude to the end. Nancy was a parishioner of St. William Catholic church in Naples and St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Potsdam. She was a Life Master in Bridge, and, in addition to her devotion to the game of Bridge and the Naples Bridge Club, she was very active in her retirement, playing tennis and enjoying the beautiful beaches and parks of Naples. She also worked as a hospital and literacy volunteer and as a bridge director, both in Naples and on Cruise ships, traveling with Bill literally across the world.

She was a devoted, loving, fun and wise mother and will be greatly missed by her children and grandchildren as well as by her husband Bill and by all of her family, friends and neighbors.