Nancy Rutschmann, 91, of Ghent, passed away June 4 in the comfort of her home, in the presence of her loving family and under the skilled and compassionate care of Community Hospice.

Born in Syracuse, NY, on April 12, 1934, Nancy was the daughter of the late William and Clara Fitzpatrick. She received her degree in Home Economics from Cornell University in 1956, where she met the love of her life, Julius Rutschmann. After they married on June 16, 1956, she joined her new husband at his family's pig farm (much to her mother's dismay) on Schmidt Road in Ghent. The resilient "city girl" soon adjusted to life as a farmer's wife, steering the tractor for her blind brother-in-law and, never squeamish about any task, even lending a hand at pig castration time. Within a year Julius and Nancy had bought the old family farmhouse and the nearby George Road property called Windswept Farm.

Nancy would spend the rest of her life there, raising four children and generations of Siamese Cats, Miniature Collies, Dachshunds and Basset Hounds. The house was always filled with music (usually Broadway show tunes, accompanied by her voice at high volume) and surrounded by the flowerbeds she tended. More than one passing driver was surprised to see her fearlessly weeding right up at the road's edge!

Because she would have preferred bats and balls to the dresses and dolls available to her as a young "tomboy" in the 1940s, Nancy was determined that her children would have all the opportunities she wished she'd had, even on a farmer's income. Along with the very best schooling the family could afford came weekly dance and music lessons, scouting activities, and trips to museums. And if the right opportunities didn't already exist in the community, she created them herself for the benefit of all, happily, without fuss or fanfare.

Nancy taught first and second graders in the Ichabod Crane and Taconic Hills districts. Later she served for years as a Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and 4H Club leader, organizing enrichment activities like camping trips and programs in sewing, tree identification, and dog training. She drove a van full of kids and dogs to get everyone where they needed to go.

Seeing the need for more youth sports opportunities, Nancy created and coached a boys' winter basketball league, with games played at the Morris Memorial in Chatham and practices in the unheated Rutschmann hay barn, where scrimmages had to be "hats and no hats" instead of "shirts and skins." She also formed and coached a softball league for young girls (including her own) and sewed all the uniforms for the teams. For over a decade, Nancy volunteered her sewing skills to the Mac-Haydn Theatre, too, where her children learned to love theater and often played stage roles.

When the children got to high school, she spent many afternoons in the bleachers, watching their track and football practices. She became active in the Chatham Booster Club, helping to raise money to support athletics and forming lifelong friendships along the way, especially the close-knit circle of active sports parents known as "The Dirty Dozen." Nancy went on to coach High School Girls JV Softball and JV Basketball, and when the school discontinued Field Hockey, she volunteered to form a Girls Soccer program, first coaching the Varsity team and later JV, which she preferred for its emphasis on skill development over winning. She was inducted into the Chatham High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

Along with great happiness and fulfillment, Nancy knew the pain of considerable loss. She was predeceased by her eldest son Jeffery, by her loving husband Julius, and her older brother William Fitzpatrick. She is survived by her son Christopher (Lynne), her daughter Julie (Brooks Hagen), her daughter Karen (Jack McKeon), her daughter-in-law, Dawn, her grandchildren, Matt, Jeremy, Ashley Brigham, Erin McKeon, & Willow McKeon, five great grandchildren, nephews and her niece, Kathleen Fitzpatrick, who she loved dearly and was by her side as she died.

In lieu of flowers donations in Nancy's memory can be made to The Community Hospice (www.communityhospice.org) or The Alzheimer's Association (www.alz.org). Those wishing to pay their respects may join the family for calling hours on Saturday, July 5, from 2-4 pm, at Windswept Farm, 204 George Road. A celebration of Nancy's life will follow for family and friends. Condolences may be conveyed at frenchblasl.com.