NANCY SMITH HALLETT (July 20, 1933-November 5, 2021)
Nancy Smith Hallett, of Phoenixville, PA, died on November 5,
2021. Born in Summit, New Jersey, she was the daughter of
Ralph Smith and Helen Elling. Mrs. Hallett grew up in Short
Hills, New Jersey, and summers were spent at her parents'
cabin on Tabor Lake, New Jersey, where she would one day
teach her own children to swim. Nancy graduated from Penn
State University in 1955, with a BA in French and Education.
She married Howard Raymond Hallett, Jr. on December 28,
1955, and they spent the early years of their marriage on
Navy bases in Florida and Texas, then Binghamton, NY for
Ray's first engineering position. They moved to Phoenixville in
1961, the town that would be their home for the next 60 years.
For 50 of those years, Nancy and Ray lived at the house they
built on Tinker Hill Road, as they raised their family, enjoying
children then grandchildren over the years.
Nancy had a robust and full life. Besides raising four children,
she played competitive bridge, volunteered for Phoenixville
Hospital in many capacities, and belonged to many groups
and organizations over the years, including bowling leagues,
PTAs, The Questers, and alumni organizations for Penn
State.
Nancy was a talented artist, and she created and produced
items using her own knitting and quilt patterns. She made
pajamas for her seven grandchildren for many years as well
as other clothing, heirloom quilts, receiving blankets, and
costumes that have become parts of our and many other
families' histories. Her patience made her a willing teacher to
anyone who wanted to learn from her, and she fostered a love
of reading in all of her children. Anyone who visited Nancy on
Tinker Hill knew she would put aside whatever she was doing
to focus on her guests. She was a patient ear to many friends,
and she made you feel like you were the center of her world.
She liked to have a good time with friends and family, and
perhaps one of her favorite ways to do that was through Penn
State football. She was a dedicated season ticket holder for
many years and watched every game she could, whether at
Beaver Stadium or in front of the TV. She also held down the
fort at dozens of large family Thanksgiving dinners on Tinker
Hill, and they always went off without a hitch because of her
planning and thoughtfulness. Her outstanding skills in the
kitchen, especially as a baker, were always appreciated by
family and friends. There was also Tinkerthon weekend, the
neighborhood block party at her and Ray's house where she
allowed the neighbors use of her property and kitchen, all the
while supplying everything needed or forgotten.
Nancy was a "mom" to so many more than her own children,
and "Nana" to many children besides her own grandchildren.
She delighted in bringing a look of wonder to a child, usually
through something in nature or the love of an animal. Nancy
loved having her children and grandchildren swimming in the
pool and running around the field on Tinker Hill. She will
forever be known for her kindness, patience, cleverness, and
sense of humor.
Nancy is predeceased by her husband, Howard Raymond
Hallett, Jr. She is survived by her sister, Susan Dillon, and her
children, David Louis Hallett and his partner Patricia, Elaine
Burgess Hallett, Michael Arthur Hallett and his wife Marsha,
Amy Hallett Lareau and her husband Brad, as well as her
daughter-in-law, Claudia Hallett. She was a caring "Nana" to 7
grandchildren: Shane and Philip Hallett, Emily Stokes and
Taylor Hallett, and Dillon, Jack, and Sara Lareau.
Donations in Nancy's memory can be made to the American
Cancer Society or the ASPCA. The family hopes to have a
memorial for Nancy and her husband Ray, who passed away
in January of 2021, at some point in the future.