Nancy Jane (Turner) Arnold

Nancy (Turner) Arnold, of Middletown, CT, passed away peacefully at home on August 25, 2019, at the age of 91. Born Nancy Jane Turner in Hartford, CT, she was the daughter of the late Clifford and Frances (Hoffman) Turner. Nancy was preceded in death in 2014 by her husband of sixty years, Robert G. Arnold.

Nancy's entire family was extremely connected to her, and she to them.  As someone recently observed, she was the matriarch of the family, in the best way. Listening is one of the most important things we can do in life and if one could count the hours she listened to her kids and grandkids in her lifetime.....she was remarkable in this way.

Nancy was a loving and selfless mother and grandmother who worked extremely hard to care for and provide for her children and grandchildren, before and after they left the nest.  Nancy also succeeded in a long, interesting, and active career as a nurse, beginning with her training at Middlesex Hospital School of Nursing. She practiced hands-on nursing and nursing administration for decades in hospitals, doctors’ clinics, nursing homes, and the home health industry in CT, MA, VT, and RI. Nancy actually never really retired from being a nurse. She always cared about the health and well-being of everyone close to her, down to the details.

Nancy was curious about and inspired by nature, an important value that she instilled in her family.  Many conversations over the years revolved around the simple joy and excitement of seeing a new bird at the feeder that day, or the comical antics of "Joe" the squirrel raiding that same feeder. She loved the ocean and of the many places she lived Nancy had deep fondness for the natural beauty of Cape Cod's beaches and Vermont's mountains. Nancy's mind stayed admirably sharp for all her years. She devoured crosswords and always kept abreast of the news and current events. And she loved a funny story or good joke. It was a delight to make her laugh and her sparkling blue eyes, laughter, warmth, and smarts will be missed deeply.

Nancy is survived by her daughter Susan D. Arnold of Middletown; her son, Jeffrey R. Arnold and his wife, Rhonda of Hampton, VA; and her daughter Bette (Betsy) C. Ross and her husband, Roger of Bay City, OR; five grandchildren, James Luurtsema, Nathan Doran , and Ashley, Jennifer and Kimberly Arnold; and one great-grandchild, Kennedy Lazare.

Nancy moved in 2018 from Durham to Heritage Commons Retirement Community in Middletown where she was fortunate to welcome dear new friends into her life. The family would like to express their gratitude to her caregivers ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Annemarie Walker and Comfort Obeng and to all the people she enjoyed knowing at Heritage Commons.

At Nancy's request, there will be no formal services. Family will gather to remember her as she wished. In lieu of flowers, donations in Nancy's memory may be made to the Heritage Commons Retirement Community for their Activities and Musical Programs at Heritage Commons, 38 Boston Road, Middletown, CT 06457. To share memories or send condolences to the family, please visit www.doolittlefuneralservice.com.

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