Nancy Boyd McDowell died peacefully at home on Thursday, July 2, 2026, surrounded by people who loved her. Nancy was 84 years old.

Nancy was born May 18, 1942, to Katharine and John McDowell in Roanoke, VA. At the time of her birth, Nancy’s father was fighting in World War II. Upon his arrival back to the United States, Nancy and her parents moved back to Chambersburg, PA, where her father’s family lived. Nancy’s brother, John, and sister, Carolyn, were both born in Chambersburg in the 1950s.

Throughout her childhood and years at Dana Hall School and Sweet Briar College, Nancy was an avid equestrian, achieving numerous ribbons and trophies.

Nancy married Hap Fairbanks in 1963. They moved to Berkeley, CA where they had three children, Ted, Kathy and Andy. In 1971, the family relocated to Mansfield, Connecticut. Nancy earned her Master’s of Social Work from the University of Connecticut in May 1976, and launched her career as a social worker.

Nancy’s career included several years as a school social worker in Manchester, CT, and United Social and Mental Health Services in Willimantic, before entering private practice in the mid-1980s. For more than 35 years, Nancy maintained a flourishing private practice that brought her great fulfillment. She enjoyed providing compassionate therapy to assist people in navigating life. In recent years, many former clients commented to her children about what a positive impact she had on their lives.

Nancy joined the Storrs Quaker Meeting House community in the 1990s. She served in several leadership duties over the years and found great fulfillment from participating in this welcoming community of Friends.

Nancy fought bravely through numerous medical challenges over the last several years of her life, before finally succumbing to kidney cancer. She is survived by her three children, Ted Fairbanks (Sandra), of Brookdale, CA, Kathy Parker (Brad), of West Lafayette, IN, and Andy Fairbanks (June) of Bethesda, MD; seven grandchildren: Josh, Allie, Sophie, Gabe, Emma, Caroline and Nora; and a sister, Carolyn Spaulding (Ralph), of Claremont, CA. Nancy is preceded in death by her brother, John C. McDowell, Jr., and her sister-in-law, Irene Ball.

The family would like to offer special thanks to Nancy Grist and the team of caregivers who offered such compassionate care over the final three+ years of their mother’s life. Thanks to this team, Nancy was able to fulfill her wishes, living out her final years in the comfort of her home that she loved.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in honor of Nancy McDowell, to the American Friends Service Committee (https://secure.afsc.org/a/main_m) and/or the ACLU (https://action.aclu.org/give/pm-donate-to-aclu), two non-profit organizations that Nancy