Nancy Hopfenbeck Saunders of Wellesley, Massachusetts died December 21, 2025, the darkest day of last year, although the light, and love of her life shone brightly until her last moments. She passed at 93 years of age, two weeks shy of her 94th birthday. She was born on January 5, 1932, in Brooklyn, New York, and spent the first twelve years in Jackson Heights, Queens. Although few would confuse her with a New Yorker; her spirit and soul reflected the blue skies of Colorado and the changing seasons of New England where she spent most of her life.
She was the loving daughter of George and Margaret Hopfenbeck, and the younger sibling of George Hopfenbeck, Jr., who she now joins.
As a beloved wife and devoted mother, Nancy is survived by Timothy Saunders, Sr. and her children Timothy Jr., Marne and Christopher Saunders. She is also survived by her sisters-in-law (Ruth Hopfenbeck and Rebecca Saunders), son-in-law (Eric Jacunski), daughters-in-law (Francesca Mistretta and Beth Saunders), adoring grandchildren (Spencer, Charlotte, and Carly Saunders, and Ethan and Garrett Jacunski), nieces (Anne Hopfenbeck and Kate Grove), nephews (James Hopfenbeck, Norm, Nick, and Nate, and Ben Saunders), and numerous great nephews and nieces scattered from Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Wyoming.
She had fond memories of those early years in New York City -– riding the subway solo as a young girl to the World’s Fair in nearby Flushing, jumping rope and hop scotching along city sidewalks to school at P.S. 69, accompanying her mother on daily trips to local markets and waiting anxiously by the apartment door to greet her father upon his return from a stressful day’s work in depression-era Wall Street. Although, she was quick to point out that her life really began when the family returned to its western roots in 1944 when her father accepted an executive position with a long-time investment banking client in Denver, Colorado.
She regaled family and friends with Colorado stories: jeeping with friends on old mining roads, boating and swimming in Lake Grandby and taking the weekend “ski train” to Winter Park. She attended the Kent School for Girls in Denver, and not unlike other talented and intelligent girls of her generation, she went back east for college. Her years at Smith College, as a member of Hubbard House, were some of her fondest in a life full of lively times. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa, and more importantly in her mind, formed enduring bonds that sustained her and those lucky enough to count her as a true and loyal friend.
After graduation, at a time when employment options for women were sorely limited, she worked for the forerunner of the NSA in Washington DC, then took a position in the trust department at the First National Bank of Denver and also worked at Eaton Vance in Boston. While the glass ceiling was ever-present then, she honed an investment acumen that would serve her family well for decades to come as a savvy individual investor able to get in early on the Facebooks and Apples of the financial world.
When asked why she left Denver and returned east at the then considered ripe old age of 29, she crisply and matter-of-factly replied, ‘well I knew everyone in Denver, it was a small town then, and I needed to shake things up since I wanted to get married and have a family.’ Logical, determined and undeterred, that was Nancy!
Not long after arriving in Boston, Nancy met the love of her life, Tim. Nancy was Tim’s ideal partner, and vice versa, complementing each other beautifully in raising a family and building business ventures, providing the right dose of organizational skill, intellectual gravitas and unshakeable equanimity, all with a wide, warm smile.
Together they created a life centered around their three children, extended family and scores of friends, reveling together in quintessential New England passions: all-season outdoor recreation (think White Mountains, Lake Winnipesaukee and Maine coast), love of professional sports (especially the Celtics) and civic engagement.
Over the course of 60+ years in Wellesley, Nancy was a long term Wellesley Town Meeting member, member of the town’s Advisory Committee, served on the vestry of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, was Treasurer of TBB Scholarships, Inc., an organization dedicated to providing college scholarships for promising young women, and second President of the Wellesley Education Foundation, whose mission is to advance innovation and excellence in the Wellesley Public Schools, raising millions of dollars over its 40+ years of existence.
Ahead of her time, but happy to have lived and loved when she did. Kind and loving, humble, determined, and quietly brilliant. Wife, mother, investor, business partner, civic leader and champion of education. A life so well lived.
A memorial service will be held at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Wellesley, Massachusetts on Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 11am. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in her name to TBB Scholarships, Inc. (www.taubetabeta.org). Such donations in honor of Nancy Saunders can be mailed to Ms. Chizu Shiono, Treasurer, TBB Scholarships, Inc., 25 Brentwood Drive, Holden, MA 01520.