Nancy Merrow, 65, lifelong resident of Bristol, Conn., died peacefully on Oct. 2, while surrounded by close friends and family after a courageous battle with a terminal illness.
Born in Bristol on Nov. 4, 1955, she is predeceased by the man she admired most in this world, her beloved husband of 40 years Jeff Merrow.
Nancy is survived by her two sons, Scott Merrow and his wife Kristen of Rhode Island, and Tyler Merrow and his wife Dina of Burlington; four grandchildren: Natalia, Gianna, Avery and Colin; sister-in-law Darci with whom she shared a very special bond and her husband Brian Buchanan of Rhode Island; brother David Grabelski and his wife Kitty of Arizona; sister Christine Grabelski of Virginia and her late husband Joe Leary; and many cousins and a niece and nephew. She was predeceased by her, parents Pauline an John Grabelski.
On a snowy day in October of 1978, she married the love of her life, Jeff Merrow of Bristol and they’d spend an amazing 40 years together. They went on and raised their two sons, Scott and Tyler and watched their family grow over the years with the births of their four grandchildren who brought unconditional love and happiness to their lives.
Nancy graduated from Bristol Eastern High School in 1973 and would then dedicate her life to caring for others. After graduating in 1976 from Hartford Hospitals School of Nursing, she would go on and work in The Hospital of Central Connecticut’s Ambulatory Surgery, where she spent 40 years working as a Registered Nurse and later became certified in Perianesthesia Nursing. In 2011, she received the hospitals highest honor and was awarded the coveted “Viola Larson” award for excellence in nursing. Nancy also received the “Florence Nightingale” award during her 40 tenure at HOCC.
Nancy was a devout Catholic and longtime parishioner of St. Matthew Church in Bristol. Over the last 5 years she developed a passion for growing Dahlias and “Grandma’s Garden” was in full bloom during her final days. She was truly a light in this world and an inspiration to anyone who knew her, she was a shining example of how to live a life of kindness, generosity, and compassion.
There will never be another Nancy Merrow but her legacy will leave a lasting impact on everyone who knew her. She fought a heroic battle over the last five years and despite her diagnosis took advantage of every opportunity she had to ‘live in the moment’ and spend time with family, friends, and her grandchildren who she adored.
On behalf of our family, we would like to give our sincere thanks to Dr. Brian Byrne, Dr. Neil Wasserman, Hartford Hospital Palliative Care and Joyce Davis from Dedicated Companions. We would also like to thank Dr. Thom and Trish Lane, Mary Munson, Carrie Kranz and everyone who has helped us throughout this journey. We are forever grateful for the love and support you’ve shown our family and we thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 8, at St. Matthew Church, 120 Church Ave., Bristol, CT. Burial will immediately follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in Bristol.
Relatives and friends may call at Funk Funeral Home on Thursday, Oct. 7, between 4 and 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Nancy to “The Healing Meals Community Project” P.O. Box 7223 Bloomfield, CT 06002 and/or St. Matthew School, 33 Welch Dr., Forestville, CT 06010.
Please visit Nancy’s memorial web-site at www.FunkFuneralHome.com
