The Rev. Dr. Nancy Hester Bloomer, 84, of Essex Junction, Vt., died
peacefully on April 3, 2024. She was born on June 13, 1939, in
Binghamton, N.Y. She was the daughter of Ruth (Hester) Bloomer and
Ronald Bloomer.
Nancy is
survived by her daughters, Carol Farley (Mike) and Sarah
Vogelsang-Card (Jay), along with her three grandchildren, Eliza
Farley, Alex Farley and Zarek Vogelsang-Card. She is also survived by
her sister, Susan Rice, and her beloved dog, Zoey. She was preceded
in death by her brother, Peter Bloomer.
Nancy
graduated from Buffalo Seminary in Buffalo, N.Y., which she credited
with sparking her passion for learning and where she made some of her
most enduring friendships. She attended Sweet Briar College and
obtained her BA, MA and PhD in English from the State University of
New York at Buffalo. Later in her career, Nancy moved with her family
to New York City and earned her master of divinity from the General
Theological Seminary. She was ordained as an Episcopal priest in
1987. Over the years, she served at several parishes in Vermont and
New York and taught English at local colleges in the Burlington area.
Nancy was a
gifted writer, particularly of poetry, a talented preacher and a
caring teacher. She was intellectually curious, and it would not have
been unusual to find her reading and discussing German Romantic
writers with one friend, the latest bestseller with another and Harry
Potter with her grandson. Over the years, she studied Greek, Latin,
Hebrew and German
for linguistic enrichment. She loved music and
played the piano and the organ. She enjoyed nature in all forms,
found solace in meditation and derived great joy in her garden. Nancy
was an artist who designed beautiful quilts and often gave them as
presents, using her recipients’ favorite colors and styles. She
also taught her grandchildren to knit and sew. Nancy loved animals,
and throughout her adult life she always had a faithful canine
companion by her side.
A memorial service
will be held on June 14, 11 a.m., at St. James Episcopal Church in
Essex Junction.
In lieu of
flowers, please send donations to Friends of
Silence (friendsofsilence.net) or the National Wildlife
Federation (nwf.org).
To send the
family personal condolences, please visit sheafuneralhomes.com.
This article appears in The Animal Issue 2024.