Nancy Lee Raker, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and aunt Nancy Lee (Carr) Raker, of Greenwich, Connecticut, passed away in her home surrounded by family on April 7, 2026.
Nancy was born in Burlington, Washington on September 1, 1942. She was the first-born child of Harry Gibbs Carr and Muriel Higgins Carr and grew up in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Nancy was deeply devoted to her husband of 60 years, Gilbert Dunkin Raker, who passed away in March 2025.
She leaves behind many who loved her including her son Geoffrey Raker and his wife Jill, her son Todd Raker and his wife Heather, and her daughter Courtney Spada and her husband Charlie. Her seven grandsons (Brett, Cameron, Kyle, Christopher, Kieran, Luke, and Jake) and one granddaughter (Emma) brought much joy to her life. Nancy spent countless hours caring for her grandchildren over the years and developed a special and lasting bond with each of them. Nancy is also survived by her adored siblings with whom she shared a wonderful sense of humor leading to much laughter over a lifetime – Mary Elizabeth (Fred) DeHart, Sarah (Chris) Crisafulli, and Harry Junior (Gwen) Carr as well as her sister-in-law, Margaret Elmina (Ken) Stewart, and numerous nieces and nephews. Nancy was also predeceased by her parents and an infant sister, Deborah Carr.
Nancy graduated from Somerville High School in New Jersey and Eastern Baptist College outside Philadelphia. As the daughter of an avid baseball player, Nancy learned to play just about every sport that a young woman could play in the 1950s. As a college cheerleader, Nancy met Gil, a fellow athlete and passionate sports fan, and fell in love. In their time at Eastern, Nancy and Gil gathered a wonderful group of friends who they were lucky to stay in touch with over the years. They also fell in love with Ocean City, New Jersey, which became the most cherished annual Raker Family vacation spot for Nancy and Gil’s children and grandchildren.
Described by Gil as the hardest worker that he had ever met, Nancy truly had a servant heart and distinguished herself as an extremely dedicated volunteer over the years. She and Gil shared a strong Christian faith and were highly active members of First Presbyterian Church of Greenwich for 45 years, and Nancy held just about every volunteer position possible at First Presbyterian, including Clerk of Session. She had so much fun with her friends from church during this period of her life. They humorously called themselves “The Frozen Chosen” and often had to be seated away from other patrons at restaurants because of the hilarity of their conversation. Nancy also enjoyed dutifully serving two terms as President of PEO, Philanthropic
Educational Organization, a sisterhood dedicated to providing women with educational opportunities.
Besides dedication to her family and service, Nancy was a lifelong advocate for girls and women’s sports. Along with Gil, she co-founded the Greenwich Soccer Club for Girls in the early 1980s. She later managed the Yankee United Patriots, a team based out of Ridgefield, Connecticut. The Patriots won numerous state championships, a regional championship, and third place at the 1996 U-17 National tournament in Indianapolis.
Nancy lived a life characterized by deep, joyful connections with those around her, an abiding Christian faith, devotion to serving others, and tireless work ethic. Truly one of a kind, and known for her infectious laughter, kindness, and self-effacing humor, Nancy will always be profoundly missed by her family and friends. Our loss is heaven’s gain – well done, good and faithful servant!
A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, May 13 at 1:00 p.m. at Stanwich Church. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to Stanwich Church.