Nancy Rasmussen

Nancy Rasmussen (née Hopkins), born March 29, 1942 in Boston, Massachusetts, passed away on Friday, January 12, 2024 at the age of 81.   

She met Willy Rasmussen (pre-deceased) while living and working in Manhattan at a Halloween Party in 1965 and they were married 2 months later. They lived in Kew Gardens, Queens until 1968 at which time they moved into their brand-new suburban house in Smithtown where they resided up until their respective deaths.

Nancy joined the congregation at St James Episcopal Church and immediately became active in the Altar Guild where she loved making the altar flower arrangements. Through the years she was on the Vestry and served a term as Warden, participated in Fairs and Festivals, organized golf outings for the St James Swingers, and led jam making sessions. She was recently active and enamored with the Wednesday morning Community Coffee Hour held in Mills Hall.

St James Episcopal Church was a very important part of Nancy’s life and is the perfect place for her to be laid to rest.

During her 56 years in Smithtown, Nancy raised a family, while working full-time at the Smithtown Lutheran Nursing Facility and then with NEC USA. At NEC, as the Corporate Public Relations Director, she managed the corporate sponsorship events including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, World Series of Golf, and the Davis and the Federation Cups. This put her in close contact with some of the world’s most famous music conductors, classical musicians, professional golf and tennis icons, and allowed her to travel around the world. At NEC’s world headquarters in Japan, she was told by senior management that she was very famous there and was affectionately known as Nancy-san. 

Nancy was happiest volunteering her time to non-profits including but not limited to: The Suffolk Music Guild, Port Jefferson Dicken’s Festival, FIRST Long Island Robotics Competition, Blind Wine Tasting Gala, Smithtown Business Advisory Council, DECA Mentor for Smithtown HS.

Nancy is survived by her three children, Holly, Carl and Adam and six grandchildren (in age-order) Christopher, Lindsey, Autumn, Kyle, Amelia and Filippa.

Nancy will be remembered as a loving Mother, Grandmother, Mentor, Friend, and Boston Red Sox fan; for her sense of humor; generosity to friends and those in need; for making world-class apricot habanero and strawberry rhubarb jams, pepper relish, zucchini bread (male and female); for her many charitable activities; Christmas cookies especially the ‘Meese’; and her Scottish can-do spirit and determination and for living life on her own terms.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation In Memory of Nancy Rasmussen to:

For Checks:

St James Fire Department

PO Box 2129

St. James, New York 11780

-OR-

For Credit Card or PayPal:

(Open camera on your phone

aim camera at the code

DO NOT TAKE A PICTURE!

Tap the yellow bar, a new screen will open up

Make sure it says St James Fire Dept at top

Choose PayPal or Credit Card

Tap box that says ‘Add special instructions’ and indicate 

In Memory of Nancy Rasmussen

THANK YOU FOR REMEMBERING NANCY THIS WAY ❤️