Nancy W. Heady, 88

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Nancy W. Heady, 88, died peacefully on August 14, 2017, at Fairview Hospital.

Born on Groundhogs Day, February 2, 1929, in Montague, Mass., she was the daughter of the late Edward and Kathleen O'Connell Wyman. As a young child, she was raised by her grandparents, Fred and Mary Wyman in Turners Falls, Mass., due to the fact that her father was in medical school and her mother was in nursing school. In the early 40s, her parents moved to Great Barrington, where Dr. Wyman set up his first medical practice. Suddenly, Nancy went from "Queen Bee" at her grandparents' home to "Big Sister" to her three siblings, much to her chagrin.

Nancy attended Kenwood Academy of the Sacred Heart in Albany, N.Y., and then graduated from Searles High School in 1947. After high school, she attended Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School in New York City, graduating in June of 1948.

In August of 1948, Nancy married Paul Merritt Heady and they celebrated 52 years of marriage. When their three children were of school age, Nancy began her career at Fairview Hospital as a Medical Secretary. She subsequently worked at her father's practice until his retirement in the early 80s. She then worked for Dr. William Adam’s Orthopedic practice.

Nancy was a member of the Thursday Morning Club, the Fairview Hospital Auxiliary and was a volunteer at the Fairview Hospital Endoscopy Department, a position which she loved and held until shortly before her death.

Nancy is survived by her three children, Pamela Ivey and her partner Edward Delmolino, Paula Doyle and her husband Thomas and her son Merritt Brooks Heady and his wife Gail; 10 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren, Mara and Ben Handy and their children Maile, Sam & Issi, Neil and Sara Ivey and their children Jackson and Lindsey, Carrie and Richard Herrington and their children Elle, Emma & Edmond, Hilary and Joel Mueller and their children Ivey Ann, Raiford, Mabel & Emily, Emily and Andrew Williams and their children Laura Ann & Abigail, Ayren and Paul Pfeifer and their children Mardi & Max, Brooks Anne and Shawn Burdick and their children Charles & Cecelia, Courtney Ivey, Jordan and Nicole Moskowitz and their son Harrison and Ashli and Peter Staszko and their children Merritt and Molli; and her sister Betsy Wildman and her son Christopher Storti of Arizona.

Along with her parents, Nancy was also predeceased by her sister Hannah W. Agar and her brother Edward "Tim" Wyman; her two nieces, Kim and Lisa Storti; and her two nephews, Mason and Timothy Whalen.

Funeral notice: A Liturgy of Christian Burial for Nancy Heady will be celebrated on Friday, August 18, 2017, at noon at St. Peter's Church, Main Street, Great Barrington, conducted by Rev. William P. Murphy, pastor.  Burial will follow at Elmwood Cemetery in Great Barrington.

The family will receive friends on Thursday, August 17, 2017, from 4 to 7 p.m. at Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home in Great Barrington. Donations in memory of Nancy may be made to Fairview Hospital through Finnerty & Stevens Funeral Home 426 Main St., Great Barrington, MA 01230.