Nancy Ellen Fitzgerald Brown

Nancy Ellen Fitzgerald Brown, formerly of Bluffton, SC and Westminster, Massachusetts passed away Friday, June 14, 2013 at Emerald Gardens in Greenwood following a long and courageous battle with Pick's (Alzheimer's) disease. Her family extends their thanks to the wonderful and caring staff at Emerald Gardens, and the outstanding care given to Nancy by Hospice of South Carolina. Nancy was born August 16, 1947 in Leominster, MA to the late Richard and Gwendolyn Fitzgerald. She was a 1965 graduate of Leominster High School, where she was the co-captain of the cheerleading squad. She graduated from Plymouth State College in Plymouth, NH in 1970, and later obtained a Master's Degree in Business from Suffolk University in Boston, MA. Nancy taught at Gardner High School for a number of years, and later went on to instruct at UMass-Lowell, in Lowell, MA. She also started her own technical writing business. Nancy was a longtime resident of Westminster, Massachusetts, where she raised her daughters, and supported them in their participation in sports and school activities. She taught her girls to ski at Wachusett Mountain, and enjoyed many ski trips with her family. Nancy was actively involved in the Congregational Church of Westminster, Thayer Symphony Orchestra, and the Westminster Country Club, where she enjoyed golfing with friends and family. Nancy moved to Bluffton, SC with her husband in 2005, where she continued to enjoy golf, and teaching online business courses for the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, until illness forced her to retire in 2009. She is survived by her husband of 43 years, Millis "Skip" Brown of Travelers Rest, SC; daughters, Sara A. Bassano of Tampa, FL, Kathryn J. Brown of Louisville, CO; and a brother, Richard L. Fitzgerald of Hampton, GA. There will be a celebration of life, to be announced, at a later date in Leominster, MA. Memorial gifts, in lieu of flowers, may be sent to Hospice Care of South Carolina, 326 Montague Avenue, Greenwood, SC 29646. A message of condolence may be sent to the family by visiting www.harrisfuneral.com. HARRIS FUNERAL HOME & CREMATION SERVICES of Abbeville, SC is assisting the Brown family.