Nancy May (Lauder) Atkinson

Nancy May (Lauder) Atkinson, age 87, of Harwich Port, MA passed away on September 24th, 2025 in Sandwich, MA, after a years-long battle with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Born May 1st, 1938 to Mary Jane “May” (Colonies) Lauder and William “Scotty” Lauder in Providence, RI, Nancy attended North Providence High School, where she met her future husband, Alan F. Atkinson. Nancy and Alan went on to marry and raise their young family in White Plains, NY, before relocating to Sudbury, MA and retiring to Cape Cod, where they lived together until Alan’s death in 2021. A member of the Garden Club of Harwich for over 25 years, Nancy was instrumental in organizing the club’s year-round community events, fundraisers, and plant sales.
Nancy was known for her gregarious nature and her love of long, chatty phone calls — anyone who spoke to her regularly will recall her signature greeting of “Yoo-hoo!” before launching into the latest neighborhood news. Nancy maintained decades-long friendships just as easily as she befriended strangers while lounging at her beloved Red River Beach, and was known across the Eastern Seaboard as an impeccable host. She loved to play canasta; indulge in a daily snack of candy or chocolate; maintain her garden; listen to Frank Sinatra; enjoy a lobster roll paired with a good cocktail at Brax Landing; and despite the protests of her family, enjoyed feeding said leftovers to the foxes living in her backyard.
While she didn’t act professionally, Nancy had the soul of a showgirl. She learned to tap dance in her fifties, frequently attended dance and theater performances with her friends, and played show tunes from A Chorus Line to Cabaret throughout her home. She delighted in any occasion requiring her to dress up, and her daily wardrobe reflected her appreciation for all things sparkly and glamorous.
Nancy approached life’s challenges with a singular sense of humor and pragmatism. A two-time breast cancer survivor, her chief concern upon being wheeled into life-saving surgery was that no one look at her Talbot’s credit card bill while she went under the knife. When her declining health required that she move into a memory care facility, her primary complaint was that she had nowhere to entertain.
Nancy will be remembered as a loving and devoted wife, mother, sister, and grandmother; a loyal friend to humans and pets alike; and as the eternal life of the party.
She is predeceased by her husband of 63 years, Alan F. Atkinson; sister Willa (Lauder) Hogberg; brother-in-law Bob Maher and sister-in-law Doris Maher. She is survived by her daughters Donna Beling (Steve), Lisa Grose (Dave), and Tracy Atkinson (Greg); grandchildren Sarah Beling (Adam), Jeffrey Beling (Ali), Hayley Cruz (Abran), and Sam Grose; her brother-in-law, Ken Hogberg as well as several nieces and nephews.
A private memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the McCarthy Care Center (select “Benefitting VNA of Cape Cod McCarthy Care Center”): https://support.givetocapecodhealth.org/donate