Nancy Kollock Strayer Groff died peacefully at the Vermont Respite House in Williston, Vermont, on May 30, 2016, after a lengthy battle with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML). She was surrounded by her loving family and friends. She was 74 years old.
Nancy was born on November 22, 1941, to Sarah Irvin Kollock and Paul Johnston Strayer and grew up in Princeton, New Jersey. She graduated from Princeton High School in 1959 and attended Mount Holyoke College. In 1962, she married Edmund Royce Groff of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and they had four children together before moving to Warren, Vermont, in 1969.
Nancy and Ed divorced in 1972 but remained in Warren raising their four children. Nancy worked a variety of jobs in Warren and Waitsfield and was an active member of the Valley Players Theater group. In 1983, Nancy decided to pursue her dream of an acting career and moved to New York City. She appeared in several off-Broadway plays and many voice-over advertisements. She later moved to Oregon to study American Sign Language at Western Oregon University and earned her bachelor of the arts degree in 1999 at the age of 58! She was then hired as the sign language interpreter coordinator for the state of Oregon.
Family provided much joy for Nancy and in 2006 she returned to Vermont to be close to her children and grandchildren, settling in Putney. Upon returning to Vermont, Nancy worked as the program director for the Vermont Interpreter Referral Service (VIRS) in Brattleboro. She cared deeply about her work, which she continued to perform as she was being treated for cancer. She remained devoted to VIRS even after she was incapacitated by her disease; supporting and advocating their fundraising event for the Yolande Henry Community Fund.
Nancy had a passion for theater from a young age and joined community theater companies wherever she lived. She was on the board of the Vermont Theatre Company and acted with the Actors Theater Playhouse in Chesterfield, New Hampshire, among others. She was an active community member, participating in Putney Community Dinners and as a member of the Lions Club. She enjoyed the town of Putney and her loving network of friends in the area.
Nancy was a kind, passionate, unique woman with a generous spirit and a lively presence that will be missed by friends and family. She treasured family reunions, celebrations and gatherings as well as time at the family camp in Moultonborough, New Hampshire. She is survived by her four children and seven grandchildren: Stephen Paul Groff (wife Maria Theresa Regalado) of Manila, Philippines, Brian Arthur Groff of San Diego, California, Lauren Groff Bartlett (husband Don Bartlett) of Grand Isle, Vermont, and Megan Groff Bachinski (partner Ben Hamilton) of Williston, Vermont; and her grandchildren, Sophia Groff, Elias Groff, Sarah Bartlett, Joan Bartlett, Cait Bartlett, Brianna Bachinski and Elle Bachinski. She had three sisters (and six nieces and nephews): Mary Strayer McGowan of Concord, New Hampshire, Sally Strayer Levin (deceased) of Chicago, Illinois, and Frances Strayer of Sandwich, New Hampshire.
There will be a celebration of Nancy’s life in Putney, Vermont, on June 26, 2016, and a family gathering at the camp in Moultonborough, New Hampshire, in late July. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to VIRS (Vermont Interpreter Referral Service) with YHCF written in the memo section; checks should be mailed to The Community Fund, c/o VIRS/VCIL, 11 East State Street, Montpelier, Vermont 05602.
