Sep 20, 1945 — Oct 1, 2026
Nancy Narvell Solomon, age 81, of Reading, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully on October 1, 2026.
Nancy was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Clarence John “Jack” Narvell and Virginia “Ginny” Narvell. She grew up in Montclair, New Jersey, and later Atlanta, Georgia, where she graduated as salutatorian of the Lovett School in 1963. She earned a degree in economics from Wellesley College in 1967.
Nancy eventually settled in Arlington, Massachusetts, where she raised her two daughters, Maura and Erin, and built a life deeply rooted in family, friendship, community, and service to others. She worked as a tax preparer for MasterTax and as an accountant for Sanford Camera before finding the career that suited her best: real estate.
For more than 30 years, Nancy was a successful Realtor in Arlington and the surrounding area. She built her business on her reputation, relationships, referrals, and the exceptional care she gave her clients. Real estate was a natural fit for someone who genuinely liked people. She knew buying or selling a home was deeply personal, and she treated her clients accordingly. Many became longtime friends. Her success reflected something she believed throughout her life: work hard, treat people with respect and care, and be someone others can count on.
Above all, Nancy was someone people could count on. If anyone was sick, grieving, overwhelmed, lonely, or simply needed help, Nancy responded. She brought meals, offered rides, opened her home, and organized donations. She would drop what she was doing for a family member, friend, neighbor, or fellow parishioner in need. What mattered to her was that people felt cared for and important.
Nancy believed that being part of a community meant participating in it and giving something of yourself to make it better. When her daughters were young, she led Girl Scouts, volunteered at their schools, and regularly raised her hand when something needed doing. She cared deeply about politics, civic life, equality, and women’s rights and was heavily involved for many years with the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts.
Her Episcopal faith was also an important and enduring part of her life. Nancy was a devoted and active member of the Parish of the Epiphany in Winchester for many years. It was not simply a place she attended, but a community she treasured, where she could welcome people, help where needed, and care for others.
Nancy was friendly and sociable and could strike up a conversation with almost anyone, including a complete stranger. She had a way of putting people at ease and making them feel known and valued. A simple trip around town frequently meant running into someone she knew. She treasured lifelong friendships but never stopped making new ones. Every neighborhood, workplace, and stage of life seemed to add more people to her circle. One of her favorite quotes was “Friends are the perennials in the garden of life.”
She was a loving, devoted mother to Maura and Erin and wanted to know not only their milestones but the everyday details. She could fill space with conversation or listen when they needed her to. For her daughters, she was the first phone call with news, good or bad, and a constant source of love, support, and encouragement.
But perhaps no role brought Nancy greater joy than being a grandmother. She adored Owen, Josh, Zach, and Skylar. She hosted sleepovers, planned special outings, and showed up for games, performances, and celebrations. Even something as simple as sharing pizza could become a “pizza party” with Grandma. She was endlessly patient, rarely judgmental, and generous with her praise and affection. Her grandchildren knew that whatever happened, Grandma was in their corner, their cheerleader for life, and loved them unconditionally.
Nancy loved bringing people together for special occasions, family dinners, and ordinary visits. She may also have perfected the art of sending greeting cards, remembering birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays, often with sparkly confetti-like surprises tucked inside.
She was an avid reader and longtime book club member, and she loved theater, live music, good food, and trying new restaurants. She loved to travel but was equally happy returning to familiar places if it meant time with family or good friends. Summers in Woods Hole became an important part of her family’s history, as did later weeks together on Martha’s Vineyard.
Nancy was easily amused, content, and appreciative of the beauty around her. She noticed things. On a drive, she might point out water, a bridge, a view, or simply something pretty she wanted everyone else to see. She delighted in flowers, sunny days, sweet treats, a good book, and the company of people she loved. She didn’t need anything elaborate or impressive to enjoy it.
Through the way she lived, Nancy taught Maura and Erin that everyone deserves respect, attention, and kindness; that hard work matters, but how you treat people matters just as much; and that family comes above all else. She taught them to show up, take care of people, give back to their communities, and make room at the table. She showed them that beauty is all around if you take the time to notice it, and that life’s greatest comfort is found not in things, but in people and places that feel like home.
In the final years of her life, Nancy experienced a long decline from Parkinson’s disease and dementia. While those illnesses took much from her, they never took away the qualities at the center of who she was. She remained kind, gracious, affectionate, appreciative, and easy to delight. Music, a pretty card, or a visit from someone she loved could still bring her genuine happiness. The people in her life remained her greatest joy.
Nancy is survived by her loving daughters, Maura Solomon Woosley and her husband, Greg, of Arlington, Virginia, and Erin Solomon Gaffen and her husband, Eric, of Reading, Massachusetts; her cherished grandchildren, Owen, Josh, and Zach Gaffen and Skylar Woosley; her sister, Alexandra “Sandy” Thim and her husband, Paul, of Atlanta, Georgia; her brother William “Bill” Katen-Narvell and his wife, Betty Jeanne “BJ,” of Princeton, New Jersey; her brother John Narvell and his wife, Mary, of London, England; as well as a nephew, several nieces and cousins whom she loved dearly.
Her parents, Jack and Ginny Narvell, predeceased her.
Nancy leaves behind a life measured not simply by what she accomplished, but by the extraordinary number of people who were better for having known her. There was always room at Nancy’s table.
Visitation will be held on Friday, November 6, 2026, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Douglass Funeral Home, 25 Sanborn Street, Reading, MA 01867. A memorial service for Nancy will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 11:00 AM at the Parish of the Epiphany, 70 Church Street, Winchester, MA 01890. After the memorial service, everyone is invited to join the family for a lunch reception in the church’s Great Hall.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Nancy’s memory to the Parkinson’s Foundation: The Parkinson’s Foundation
