By Dan Murphy
One of Westchester’s first female elected officials and leader of a town passed away recently. Nancy Elliott, who served as town supervisor in Yorktown from 1980 to 1992, passed away last month at the age of 89.
I grew up in Yorktown during Elliott’s tenure as supervisor. Thirty years ago, Yorktown was a different place than it is today, with less people, less traffic, and a more rural quality of life filling the town. I can also remember my mother, who was a volunteer in local politics, pleased that a woman was leading town government.
While there were other female elected officials in government, primarily in state government – Sen. Suzi Oppenheimer and Assemblywoman Cecil Singer – most of the female elected officials served south of Interstate 287 in the county. When she was first elected to the Town Board in 1980, Elliott did not fit in with the other elected officials in Yorktown, who were white and male.
And, most interesting and unique to Elliott, was that she was a Republican, at a time when Westchester was a republican county. Several published interviews with the NY Times during the 1980s give us a glimpse into Elliott’s ground breaking public service.
“People live here because they don’t want factories and that sort of thing,” Elliott said to the Times in 1985. “They also have a commitment to education. We’re small enough to still be a small town, but we’re large enough that we have a lot of things to offer.”
In 1989, the Times featured several female elected officials in the metro-New York region, which shows how much of a challenge it still was to be a woman and run for office. The Times wrote:
“More women than ever are succeeding in local politics throughout the New York-metropolitan region, just as they have in cities and towns around the nation. But by and large, their success remains limited to the municipal arena.
“Sometimes, it is by choice. As women assume greater financial responsibilities in their families, some find that better-paying jobs outside government are a powerful lure. Others, wanting to stay near young children, decide they don’t want to leave their communities.
“But often, it is by force. The costs of campaigning across several towns or an entire state can be prohibitive for candidates who are challenging incumbents, most of whom are men. In addition, some office-seekers contend, the local party leadership – whether Democratic or Republican – is sometimes inhospitable to women.
“Some women discover that they can make national contributions, while remaining in the local arena. For example, Nancy R. Elliott, the 59-year-old supervisor of Yorktown, N.Y., has dealt extensively with wetlands conservation in her 40-square-mile rural town.
“Last year, Ms. Elliott was one of 20 people appointed to the National Wetlands Policy Forum, which met five times in Washington and produced a report. Gov. Thomas H. Kean of New Jersey headed the meetings of the panel, which was partly underwritten by the Environmental Protection Agency. ‘That was really the highlight of my career in public service,’ she said.”
In addition to her legacy in protecting the environment, Elliott was remembered for her work in Yorktown on affordable housing, creating the town sewer and water plants, and presiding over the opening of the Jefferson Valley Mall – a modern wonder at the time.
One official who served with Elliott, former Yorktown Councilman Anthony Grasso, 91, said: “Nancy was always ready to get the job done. There was no fooling around. She wasn’t one who had an idea and took two years to do it. She did a lot of things. She knew what to do and she did it. I learned a lot about government at that time with her.”
Elliott is fondly remembered by Yorktown republicans of today. Yorktown GOP Chairman Christopher Arnold said: “We are saddened to learn of the passing of Nancy Elliott, a former chair of the Yorktown Republican Town Committee and ‘political legend’ who served 12 years as Yorktown supervisor, from 1980 to 1992. She was our first female supervisor, and having been fortunate enough to grow up with her, I witnessed her numerous achievements firsthand. Her tremendous loss grieves us all. Amongst her many accomplishments, she brought the Jefferson Valley Mall to Yorktown. Our condolences go out to her family and friends.”
Her obituary from North Carolina follows:
Nancy Louise Elliott, 89 of Hillsborough, N.C., passed away peacefully July 11, 2019. She was born Oct. 8, 1929 in Toledo, Ohio, to parents Bob and Betty Rettig. She graduated from DeVilbiss High School in 1947 and went on to graduate from Denison University in 1951. She was president of her Tri Delta sorority.
In 1952, she married John S. Elliott of Coshocton, Ohio. After stops in Biloxi, Miss.; Columbus, Ohio; and Seattle, Wash., John and Nancy settled in Yorktown, N.Y., which would become home for them for the next 30 years. John and Nancy were married for 57 years.
Nancy was very involved in her community and was a strong advocate for women. She was president of her chapter of the League of Women Voters and was elected to the Yorktown, N.Y., Town Board. In 1980, she was elected to serve as the first woman supervisor of the town. She would lead the town for 12 years, being elected six times. Nancy was also an active member of the Methodist church wherever she lived, volunteering and attending her Bible study group. After retiring, John and Nancy moved to Evergreen, Colo.. Nancy moved to Hillsborough, N.C., after John’s death.
Nancy was a huge sports fan, usually reading the sports section of the newspaper first. The Colorado Rockies and Denver Broncos were favorites, but Nancy could watch any sport. Her love for sports came from her father, who in 1994 was elected to the Toledo Sports Hall of Fame.
Nancy cherished time at the beach in Cape Hatteras, N.C., sunshine in the Rockies, vibrant colors, flowers, and her beloved Bridge Club friends. She also liked to paint and was an avid reader. She will always be remembered for her bright smile that would light up the room. She will be greatly missed by her family and all who knew her.
Nancy is survived by her three children, John (Kim) Elliott of Evergreen, Colo.; Lynn (Greg) Carswell of Hillsborough, N.C.; and Bruce (Carol) Elliott of Richmond, V. She has five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
A celebration of life service will be held at the University United Methodist Church in Chapel Hill, N.C., on Friday Aug. 16, 2019. In Lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to University United Methodist Church, Worship Fund ( https://universityumc.church/); or UNC Hospice (memorial gifts can be made online at go.unc.edu/unchospice, or checks made payable to the Medical Foundation of NC and mailed to 123 West Franklin St., Suite 510, Chapel Hill, N.C. 27516)
Published in The Blade from July 21 to July 22, 2019.
