Nancy Jane Rosenbaum

Nancy Jane Rosenbaum, born Nancy Jane Honey in Montreal, Quebec on October 17, 1937, passed away on September 8, 2024 at the Whitney Center in Hamden, CT. Daughter of the late Clarence Wentworth Honey of Ste. Agathe, Quebec, and Muriel Kinsman Foote of Nova Scotia, she is survived by sister Susan Storch and brother Peter Honey of California, and was pre-deceased by sister Margot Abenheim Honey and brother Bill Honey. A much beloved mother and grandmother, Nancy leaves behind three children from her former marriage to Joel Rosenbaum: daughter Karen Anne Hester and son-in-law Keith Hester of Oregon, WI; daughter Ellen Jane Rosenbaum of New Haven, CT; and daughter Susan Rosenbaum Soper, son-in-law Steven Soper, and granddaughter Natalie Margot Soper of Athens, GA.

Nancy spent her early life in French River, Ontario, where from 1945-1965 her father ran a Canadian Pacific Railway Bungalow fishing camp accessible only by boat or helicopter. Nancy had fond memories of growing up on the French River, where she and her brothers and sisters worked at the lodge and learned to fish, swim, ski, and ride. She completed high school in Pennsylvania and received a BS in Biology (1958) and a MS in Zoology (1963) from Syracuse University. She held research positions at Syracuse, SUNY, and University of Chicago, and from 1973 until her retirement in 2007, she worked as a Lecturer in the Yale University Biology Department, supervising the Introductory Biology Laboratory and its graduate teaching assistants. She loved to share her passion for observing nature, and she taught for many summers at the Children’s School of Science in Woods Hole, MA, serving as President from 1984-85. When Nancy retired, she helped catalog collections at the Peabody Museum and worked part-time in the admissions offices at the Yale Forestry School and the Yale School of Public Health.

Nancy was a resident of Hamden, CT, where she lived from 1967 until her death. She was devoted to her town and active in many Hamden civic organizations. She was dedicated to environmental issues, heading the Tidal Marsh Work Group, part of the Quinnipiac River Watershed Partnership, and chaired the Hamden Inland Wetlands and Watercourses Commission. Nancy advocated for education for all, serving on the Hamden PTA, on the Board of Directors of Chapel Haven (a center that helps adults with disabilities to live independently), and worked as a literacy volunteer. She served as President of both the Hamden League of Women Voters and the Yale University Women’s Organization (YUWO). In recognition of her public service Nancy received a Hamden Notable award in 1999.

Nancy enjoyed gardening both at her home on Thornton Street and later at the Whitney Center. She was an avid bird watcher, often birding with the New Haven Bird Club or in her beloved backyard next to the Mill River. She liked to knit and baked delicious desserts. For many years she took pottery classes at the Creative Arts Workshop, giving many of her creations to loved ones. She was a fan of classical music and opera, and enjoyed attending concerts with friends. Her quiet strength, independence, and zest for life never waned. She appreciated every day and the small things in life, especially spending time with her friends and family; she was loved by all for her kindness and humility.

A Memorial Service will be held in the spring at the Whitney Center. The family deeply appreciates Nancy’s loyal friends and neighbors who enriched her life, and who provided loving support in her final months. The family is also grateful for the incredible medical care and support Nancy received from Yale New Haven Hospital, the Whitney Center, and Connecticut Hospice.

Donations in her memory can be made to any of the organizations she supported. Funeral arrangements are in care of Beecher & Bennett, 2300 Whitney Avenue, Hamden. To send condolences to Nancy’s family, please see her obituary at www.beecherandbennett.com.