DUDLEY - Nancy Jane (Crawford) Waite, 90, formerly of Ardlock Place, died Thursday, May 15, in the Life Care Center of Auburn. Her husband of 47 years, Frederick Stephen “Fred” Waite, died in 1986.
She leaves three daughters, Lucinda R. Stockwell of Rochester, MN, Sara L. Costa and her husband Peter of Wellesley, and Nancy C. Waite, wife of Thomas Cuddeback of Stamford, CT; a brother, Hugh W. Crawford, Jr. and his wife Harriet of Fort Myers, FL; three grandchildren, Samantha, wife of Donald Sagdalen of Rochester, MN, David Stockwell and his wife Rebecca of Fitchburg, WI, and Lucy Costa of Wellesley; four great grandchildren, Steven, Danielle, Noah and Elliot; nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her sister Julia B. Lanman in 2002.
She was born in Worcester and raised in Dudley, a daughter of Hugh W. Crawford, Sr. and Pearle L. (Longley) Crawford. When she first married, she lived in Woodstock, CT before returning here. She moved to Auburn in 2004. She graduated from Bartlett High School in 1934, earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Wheaton College in 1938, and was awarded a Master of Education Degree from Worcester State College in 1958. She completed all the course work leading to a doctoral degree at Clark University in Worcester.
Mrs. Waite was a teacher in Dudley. She taught third grade for two years and then English at Dudley Junior High School for many years. She was the first coordinator of the English Department at Shepherd Hill Regional High School from 1973 to 1976, when she retired. She was a trustee at the Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library, which was named for her mother.
She was a member of several clubs including l’Apres Midi Club. She was a member of the Church of the Reconciliation in Webster.
She loved music and played the piano and harpsichord. She was a gardener, swimmer and canoeist and was known as a crack shot with a sporting rifle.
The funeral will be held Tuesday, May 20, at 11:00 AM in the Church of the Reconciliation, 5 North Main St., Webster. Burial will be at the convenience of the family. Calling hours will be from 5:00 to 8:00 PM Monday, May 19, in the Sitkowski & Malboeuf Funeral Home, 340 School Street, Webster. Instead of flowers, the family would prefer donations be made in her name to the Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library, PO Box 184, Dudley, MA 01571.