Plan for the Future
Nancy Thomson Soloway passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on February 13th, having just celebrated her 91st birthday in January. She is survived by her three daughters Kathryn Rinehart (husband David), Martha Seidler (husband Rich) and Phyllis Penkethman (husband Francis), six grandchildren Rich, Alex, Ben, Lizzie, Kate and Winnie, as well as one great grandson Jude. She is also survived by many who may remember her as their kindergarten teacher.
Nancy was born in Summit, New Jersey, to Arthur and Alva (Moore) Thomson. She was the younger sister of Shirley (Thomson) Lockheed. They lived together with grandparents in a large multigenerational household, with aunts, uncles, and cousins nearby. Nancy’s grandfather wrote music; both her grandmother and uncle were artists. Nancy developed a love of art and music very early in life. A life-long love of gardening was also inculcated at an early age. Nancy attended college at Oberlin College and became an elementary school teacher. She taught in the Morris School District as a kindergarten teacher for more than thirty years. She was an enthusiastic instructor, utilizing her beautiful voice and piano skills to sing to her young students. Nancy enjoyed living in Morristown and was an active member of the Morris Choral Society and the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship.
Retirement was an exciting new chapter for Nancy, as she explored the world she had always read about, traveling to Europe many times as well as to China. She moved from Morristown to live on East 49th Street in the Turtle Bay area of Manhattan. For fifteen years, she enjoyed all that the City had to offer, visiting museums and attending concerts, hosting family and friends whenever they came to New York. Nancy also tended to the co-op’s roof garden, which was a source of beauty for all who lived in the building.
In 2011 Nancy returned to New Jersey for her final years at Cedar Crest in Pompton Plains. She was cared for lovingly by her daughter Martha and son-in-law Rich, as well as the exceptional staff at Mountain View Gardens.
