Obituary: Nancy Fry Sholley

Nancy Sholley

Formerly a resident of Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts, she leaves her beloved husband of 62 years, Peter; and her children Lucy, Adam and Nicholas. She is also survived by her son-in-law Ted Rabidoux; her daughters-in-law Joan and Thais; and her four adoring grandchildren Elizabeth, George, Anne, and Peter.

Nancy and her husband were cited as “volunteers extraordinaire” in the Boca Beacon in 1993, and were given Wellesley Awards for volunteerism in their former community.

Nancy was President of the Boca Grande Woman’s Club, served on the boards of the Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association, the Boca Grande Health Clinic, the Boca Grande Child Care Center, the Gasparilla Island Bridge Authority, and was a member at large of Suncoast Humane Society. Along with her husband Peter, Nancy helped establish the Boca Grande Historical Society.

Nancy was active in several houses of worship, including the St. Andrews Episcopal Church and Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church. The Sholleys also loved to help at the Methodist Church’s Wednesday morning breakfasts, with Nancy in charge of cooking eggs and grits and Peter manning the sausage and dish-washing detail.

For many years the Sholleys were a familiar sight in Boca Grande, their five Jack Russell terriers in tow.

Nancy was a formidable, loving and witty woman, a great raconteur who had many friends. She was a champion of the underserved, a defender of animal rights, and a member of the NAACP since she was 17.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Suncoast Humane Society.