Nancy Stuart Bohne passed away on November 20, 2025, at home, surrounded by her loving family. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She shared a remarkable partnership with her husband, Paul Bohne III, as his life companion for 63 years of marriage and 67 years in love. All those who knew Nancy appreciated her sense of humor, her eternal optimism, her kindness and her unyielding devotion to her family. Her absence will be deeply felt by all who knew her.
Nancy was born on December 23, 1939, to Eleanor Hartman and James Cresswell (Cress) Stuart. She grew up on her family’s farm in Willingboro, N.J., and graduated from Burlington High School, where she met her future husband, Paul. Nancy spent 10 joyful years as both camper and counselor at Merrowvista, a summer camp in Center Tuftonboro, N.H., which sparked her lifelong love for New England.
She graduated from Cedar Crest College in Allentown, Pa., in 1962 with a major in elementary education. Nancy and Paul were married on August 12, 1962, at the Presbyterian Church in Beverly, N.J. That autumn, Nancy began teaching at Franklin Park while Paul completed his bachelor’s degree at Rutgers University. In the spring of 1965, they moved to Vermont with their daughter, Jill, where Nancy would reside for the remainder of her life.
In 1966, Nancy and Paul purchased Harwood Hill Orchard in Bennington, Vt., from Paul’s parents and operated it until 1987. Being an eternal optimist, she eagerly engaged her new challenge and played a vital role in the orchard’s daily operations, managing both the retail side and the bookkeeping, all while raising their two children, Jill and Paul IV. She was an active member of the Bennington community, serving as president of the local chapter of Junior Women, chair of the Chamber of Commerce Tourist Bureau and as a member of the State Board of the Girl Scouts.
After selling the orchard in 1987, Nancy and Paul designed and built a home on an orchard lot on Apple Hill Road in Bennington. Nancy then returned to teaching for the next 15 years, focusing on sixth-grade education and developing innovative middle-level teaching methods, which she shared with fellow fifth- and sixth-grade teachers at Bennington Elementary. She became the teacher representative on the Board of the New England League of Middle Schools. She collaborated with her friend Carol Spencer and other colleagues to provide many workshops across New York and New England, enriching middle-level teaching practices. Upon her retirement in 2002, Nancy continued to support education by working for three years at the Vermont State Department of Education, assisting with teacher recertification.
Nancy is survived by her husband, Paul; her daughter, Jill Bohne Davis; son, Paul Werner Hans Bohne IV, and his wife, Cindy; four grandchildren: Madison and Whitney Bohne, Stuart Davis and his fiancée, Zoe Lucia, and Haley Davis Stearns and her husband, Joshua; two great-grandchildren, Oliver and Silas Stearns; her sister Eleanor Gappo; and many nieces and nephews.
A memorial service for Nancy will be held on Saturday, December 13, 2025, 2 p.m., at the Second Congregational Church, 115 Hillside St., Bennington, VT. The service will be available via Zoom. To receive the link, contact Paul IV at paulwhb@gmail.com. Burial will be held privately at the convenience of the family at Park Lawn Cemetery in Bennington.
For those who would like to honor Nancy, contributions can be made to Champlain Housing Trust by visiting their website at getahome.org. Arrangements are in care of LaVigne Funeral Home, Winooski, Vt. To send condolences to her family, please visit vtfuneralhomes.com.
This article appears in Nov 26 – Dec 2 2025.