Nancy Rose Clare

Nancy Rose Clare, 89, of Sarasota, Florida, passed away at 3:25 a.m. on Sept. 24, 2023. A mass of Christian burial will take place at St. Jude Catholic Church in Sarasota at noon on October 24, 2023. Nancy was born on May 9, 1934, in Hartford, Connecticut. Her mother (one of twins) died when she was a toddler and she was raised by her aunt, who affectionately became her mother. Nancy was a bright student, skipping fifth grade and excelling in her classes. She attended Mount St. Joseph Academy on full scholarship, earned a bachelor’s degree from St. Joseph College and went to Oxford University on scholarship to study Latin. She spoke Latin and French fluently and had a natural command of many languages. Nancy started out at Hearst Publications in New York City working on Seventeen Magazine. She later pursued a career in Information Technology and worked for several New York-based banks that merged in the 1990s to form JP Morgan Chase & Company. She supported the system that communicated with the Federal Reserve Bank and the New York Clearinghouse. After retiring from banking, she moved from Mt. Holly, NJ to Sarasota, FL, where she became a computer librarian who cataloged newspaper articles for the Sarasota Herald-Tribune newspaper. Nancy’s engaging and honest personality made her a friend to many. She loved her Irish heritage and spending social time with close friends. A world traveler throughout her life, she loved her trips to Provence, France, to visit her close friend Jeanine. She celebrated other cultures and observed holidays that many Americans aren’t even aware of. She loved Chinese food, especially on New Year’s Eve with friends Margo and Sandy, and often combined visits to Chinatown noodle shops with visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Cloisters. Nancy fought and survived cancer several times. In 1982, doctors diagnosed her with endometrial cancer that spread to her ovaries and said she would not survive. She opted for extreme treatment and made it through, eventually outliving both doctors that had diagnosed her. She was devoted to her Roman Catholic roots and enjoyed visiting St. Francis of Assisi Church and St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan and was a member of St. Jude Catholic Church in Sarasota. Surviving are her loving friends and Herald-Tribune coworkers Daniel Wagner, Nancy Traylor and Cindy Allegretto; her longtime friend and companion during her New York days, Peter Gerard Nowicki of Bayonne, NJ.; and many other friends and loved ones. Her advice to all was “Never say yes when you want to say no. Don’t set yourself up, and don’t sell yourself short.” A tree will be planted in her name in the Holy Land. In memory of Nancy’s life and faith, contributions can be made to St. Jude Catholic Church at www.stjudesarasota.org.

Nancy Rose Clare

May 9, 1934 - September 24, 2023