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Nancy Hayes Sununu (May 27, 1939 – September 7, 2024) was an American politician, education advocate, and former first lady of New Hampshire from 1983 to 1989. The matriarch of the Sununu political family and an influential figure in state politics, she was the wife of former New Hampshire governor John H. Sununu and mother of existing governor Chris Sununu and former United States senator John E. Sununu. Nancy Sununu served as the chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party, coinciding with the 1980 United States presidential election. During the 1980s, First Lady Sununu oversaw the first major renovations of the New Hampshire Governor's Mansion, also known as Bridges House, in its history.

Biography

Sununu was born Nancy Hayes in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, on May 27, 1939, but was raised in Brockton, Massachusetts, and Cape Cod. Her parents, Edward and Eleanor (née Christie) Hayes, were teachers of Irish American descent in the Brockton Public Schools system. She received her bachelor's degree from Boston University. She met and married John H. Sununu while she was attending Boston University and he was a college student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The couple had eight children: Catherine, Elizabeth, Christina, John, Michael, James, Christopher and Peter. In 1970, Sununu moved to Salem, New Hampshire, with her family.

Nancy Sununu, together with her family, rose through the ranks of the New Hampshire Republican Party during the 1970s to became Chair of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee, the leader of the state party. Her chairmanship of the New Hampshire GOP coincided with the landmark 1980 United States presidential election, in which Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States following his victory in the 1980 New Hampshire Republican presidential primary earlier that year.

Sununu served as the first lady of New Hampshire 1983 until 1989 during her husband's tenure as governor. During her time, First Lady Sununu oversaw and completed the first major renovation of the New Hampshire Governor's Mansion since Bridges House became the state's official residence. Nancy Sununu also established a foundation to fund sabbaticals for public school teachers.

Sununu later served as the project director of the Republican Governors Association and the vice president of the Republican Woman's Federal Forum. She also served the board of trustees at Rivier University, a Catholic college in Nashua, New Hampshire, and chair of the Salem School District in Salem, New Hampshire. She was awarded honorary doctorates from St. John's University, St. Thomas Aquinas College, and Iona College for her work in education.

Sununu died from Alzheimer's disease on September 7, 2024, at the age of 85. Her funeral was held at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Rye Beach, New Hampshire, on September 13, 2024, and was buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Salem, New Hampshire.

References

1. ^ Tracy, Paula (2024-09-07). "Nancy Sununu, Former NH First Lady and Governor's Mother, Dies After Battling Alzheimer's". InDepthNH.org. Archived from the original on 2024-09-13. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
2. ^ Porter, Steven (2024-09-09). "Nancy Sununu remembered for her devotion to New Hampshire political family". Boston Globe. Retrieved 2024-10-07.
3. ^ Baker, Roberta (2024-09-08). "Nancy Sununu, matriarch of NH political dynasty, dies after battle with Alzheimer's". New Hampshire Union Leader. Yahoo News. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
4. Rineman, Nancy (2008-04-29). "Nancy Sununu at Hampton Falls library". The Portsmouth Herald. Retrieved 2024-10-14.

• 1939 births
• 2024 deaths
• Chairpersons of the New Hampshire Republican State Committee
• First ladies and gentlemen of New Hampshire
• New Hampshire Republicans
• Women in New Hampshire politics
• Sununu family
• Boston University alumni
• American people of Irish descent
• People from Hampton Falls, New Hampshire
• People from Salem, New Hampshire
• People from Brockton, Massachusetts