Nancy (Osborne) Cole, 85, of Chatham, Mass. and formerly of Greenwich, died peacefully on Dec. 14 after a long illness.
Nancy was born May 27, 1930 in Mt. Clemens, Mich., and graduated from Butler University in 1948. In 1953 she moved to Los Angeles, where she worked at CBS Television City and then became a commercial artist.
Nancy and her former husband, James Robert (Bob) Cole, employed by CBS, moved to Greenwich in 1961 to raise their three children. Nancy was active in the North Greenwich community and continued to develop her artistic talent, which complemented her love of people and sense of humor through a range of work, from portraits to caricatures to annual Christmas cards that captured beautiful profiles of her growing children.
A move to Chatham in 1984 marked the official start of her career as a professional artist and her painting style as “Capturing a Moment in Time on Canvas.” She quickly became well known for her oil portraits of children and families made in the beautiful nature settings of Cape Cod. Her work was showcased in galleries across the county, and over the last 30 years Nancy Cole’s art has brought joy and touched the lives of hundreds lucky enough to have her talent live on in the portraits and paintings hanging in their homes.
Beyond her artwork, Nancy touched many more lives with her support of charities and her caring for others. Through donated art and volunteering, she was an early supporter of “We Can,” participating in their original fundraiser, “A Day of Words, Wit, and Wisdom,” and designing the mascot they used in their early years.
Nancy also worked with the Chatham Ecumenical Council for the Homeless (CECH) and was a regular contributor to Arts for Charity. She was also a strong proponent for peace and protection of the environment, working with the Fellowship of Reconciliation.
Nancy is survived by her sons, James Cole of Chatham and David Cole of Hingham, Mass., and by her daughter-in law, Caroline, and her granddaughters, Catherine and Audrey of Hingham. She is also survived by her sister, Paula Tice of Turlock, Calif., her niece, Lisa Pimentel, and her nephew, Jeffrey Tice.
She was predeceased by her loving daughter, Amee Barrick Cole, in 1985, and the father of her children, James Robert Cole, in 2013.
A memorial celebration of her life is planned for the spring; in lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established for a bench in her honor to be placed in downtown Chatham: Nancy Cole Memorial Fund, c/o Cape Cod 5, 548 Main Street, Chatham, MA 02633.
