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Obituary: Nancy A. Chamberlain, 101, Croghan
Published: February 03, 2026
By: Provided by Scanlon Funeral Home
Nancy A.
Chamberlain
 CROGHAN, NY- Nancy A.
Chamberlain, 101, formerly of Shady Ave, Croghan and Brookside Residential
Facility, Lowville, passed away peacefully on Monday, February 2, 2026, in
Lewis County Residential Health Care Facility, Lowville, where she had
resided since May, 2018.
Nancy was born in
Ilion, NY on August 4, 1924 to Ethel Reynolds
Allen and Barnard Lewellen Allen.
Nancy was the youngest of three children, all raised in Ilion, and
she was pre-deceased by her brother Edmund Allen and sister Virginia
(Allen) Adams. Nancy graduated from
Ilion High School in 1942, where she excelled in academics, music (singing)
and sports (swimming). She received a degree in Home Economics from Cornell
University in 1945 and was a member of the Delta Gamma sorority
and the Raven & Serpent honorary society.
Nancy taught Home
Economics at the Copenhagen Central School in Copenhagen, NY from
1945-1947.
She married
Clifford Ivan Chamberlain on August 30, 1947 and
taught in the Lancaster County School System in Lancaster, PA from
1947-1948 while he completed his degree at Franklin & Marshall College.
After living in
Minerva, OH and Watertown, NY, they moved to Beaver Falls, NY in 1956. In 1957, she returned to teaching at BRCS
where she remained until her retirement in 1979. While there, she
introduced CPR as part of the health curriculum and became both the local
and district FHA advisor. She was always very proud to have had several of
her students elected to district and state offices.
Nancy was active
in the Beaver Falls United Methodist Church, where she taught Sunday
School, sang in the choir and served on many boards and committees. She was
also a cub scout den mother, a committee member in Cooperative Extension, a
member of the Lewis Co. Hospital Auxiliary, Tug Hill Quilters, Croghan
Senior Citizens, NYSRT & BRCS Retired Teachers Associations, and a
Hospice Volunteer. She also planned, organized and survived many family
trips with the four boys.
After retiring in
1979 (and due to a fire that destroyed their
Beaver Falls home), Nancy and Cliff spent winters in Spring Hill, FL,
returning each warm season to their beloved camp at Effley
Falls, near Croghan, NY. In Spring
Hill, they were members of the First United Methodist Church where they
sang in the Chancel Choir and participated in community activities
including bridge, golf, water aerobics, walking, crafts and Real Estate.
Nancy and Cliff
moved back to Effley Falls in 1995 when he became
ill with cancer, passing away in 1996, after which, Nancy continued her
church and community activities. She liked to read, knit, quilt, socialize
and exercise; and among her favorite pastimes at camp were puttering,
watching the hummingbirds and listening to the loons. Most of all, Nancy enjoyed spending time
with her family.
Nancy is survived
by her four children, David A. Chamberlain (Janet Halasinski) of Sodus
Point, NY, Peter C. Chamberlain (Kathryn Currier) of Honolulu, HI, Samuel
C. Chamberlain (Barbara) of Effley Falls, NY, and
Robert M. Chamberlain (Ellen) of Croghan, NY; eight grandchildren: Rowan
Starr Chamberlain, Carlton Chamberlain, Kendra Pokhis,
Elizabeth Chamberlain, Danielle Wood, Lura Chamberlain, Jonathan
Chamberlain, and Ezra Chamberlain, and ten great grandchildren ~ and one on
the way.
Per her wishes,
her body has been donated to SUNY Upstate Medical University in Syracuse.
A Memorial
Service will be planned later this year.
Memorial
contributions may be made to Beaver Falls United Methodist Church, PO Box
66, Beaver Falls, NY 13305, to Friends of Lewis County Hospice, PO Box 266,
Lowville, NY 13367, to BRCS Educational Foundation Annual Fund via the BRCSD.org
website under Community, or to Beaver River Central School, PO Box
179, Beaver Falls, NY 13305-0179 (for BRCS, please make checks out to: NNY Community Foundation with memo line:
BRCSD Education Annual Fund and please designate “in memory of Nancy
Chamberlain”).
The family would
like to recognize and thank the 2nd floor LCRHCF staff who cared for Nancy
in her 8 years with them and made her feel safe and loved. We also
appreciate the support of Lewis County Hospice during her final weeks.
Arrangements are
with Scanlon Funeral Home, Croghan.
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