Obituary of Nancy McDuffee Chase

Nancy McDuffee Chase, of Ithaca, NY, formerly of Rensselaerville, NY and New York, NY, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 20, 2016 in Ithaca. Nancy was born on January 20, 1922 in Hampton, VA to the late Helen Golden Chase and Charles Richard Chase. A graduate of The Albany Academy for Girls and Bryn Mawr College, Nancy went on to earn her Master's degree in International Relations from The Fletcher School of Diplomacy at Tufts University in Boston. She worked at the State Department in Washington, DC from 1944 to 1948. As part of this work, she attended the United Nations Conference on International Organization in San Francisco in 1945. Nancy then worked for many years at Time magazine in New York City as a researcher and head researcher in different sections of the magazine. In the latter part of her career at Time she worked in the Letters to the Editor department, rising to Assistant Editor. Nancy was a long-time elder of the Rensselaerville Presbyterian Church and organized visiting ministers for summer services there for many years. She was an Honorary Director of the E.N. Huyck Preserve and was active and well known in Rensselaerville throughout her life. Nancy is survived by her niece, Barbara A. Chase; her nephew, Richard A. Chase, and his wife, Avery R. Chase, great nephew, Henry McD. Chase and great niece, Sarah K. Chase; sister-in-law, Edith C. Chase and several cousins. In addition to her parents, Nancy was predeceased by her brother, Richard G. Chase. Although Nancy spent much of her time in New York City, she felt Rensselaerville was her home. Memorial donations may be made to the Rensselaerville Presbyterian Church, PO Box 47, Rensselaerville, NY 12147, or the Rensselaerville Library, PO Box 188, Rensselaervile, NY 12147. The family also wishes to express their gratitude to the staff at Bridges Cornell Heights in Ithaca. A.J. Cunningham Funeral Home in Greenville, NY has care of arrangements. A memorial service will be held at the Rensselaerville Presbyterian Church at a later date.