Ann Gregory

Obituary of Ann C. Gregory

Ann C. Gregory, 98, of Potomac, Maryland died Sunday, September 29th, 2019 with her grandsons, Victor Sarkis Nazarian and Christopher Thomas Nazarian, by her side at Sunrise Assisted Living in Rockville, Maryland. We are here to celebrate her life at 4th Presbyterian Church where Nancy worshiped and was an avid volunteer at for decades. Born, Anna Theresa Connolly, in 1921 in County Mayo, Ireland, she was the daughter of Thomas Joseph Connolly and Mary Ellen Igoe Connolly. Her father, Tom, became a pilot in America and flew survey missions over the area that became the Hoover Dam. His pilot's license was signed by Orville Wright. Nancy grew up during the Great Depression, earned her business degree from Ryder College and started work as a young woman before World War II. She worked at the Luscombe Airplane Company where in the office and as a professional model posing with airplanes with a dashing young aeronautical engineer from Petersburg, Virginia. Nancy married that gentleman, her beloved S. (Shelton) Rolfe Gregory in 1942 and they were together for 55 years until his passing in 1997. Rolfe and Nancy raised a family, traveled and built interesting lives together. They shared a love of things that fly and Nancy accompanied Rolfe to dozens of model airplane contests. They both enjoyed. building and flying kites at the Smithsonian Kite Contest each year where they won many trophies for their excellent, beautiful kites. They built their "dream" house in Potomac in 1965 near Churchill High School which was then called Potomac High School. She watched 4 of her grandsons and 1 Great Grandson Brayden - Class Of 2017 attend Churchill and play Football. Nancy loved American History. She became an expert on George and Martha Washington's lives as well as the lives of Robert E Lee and Mary Custis Lee. She also worked as a volunteer with the National Park Service for over 20 years in costume at the Custis-Lee mansion at Arlington House earning many commendations from the Park Service and the Secretary of the Interior. She was talented with a needle and thread, super 8 film, color and black and white photography and laughing at funny jokes. They had to be funny or she wouldn't laugh. Her belly laugh was precious. She was a devoted wife, a beloved mother to Barbara Marian Gregory Nazarian Greaves and Thomas Rolfe Gregory and grandmother to 4 Grandsons, Victor, Chris, Kirk (1971-2003) and Jeffrey (1976-2019) and great grandmother to Brayden Rolfe Thornton Nazarian, Connor Gregory Nazarian and Lyla Nazarian Brooks of Potomac. She was devoted to her family and survived by her two children Barbara and Tom, two living grandsons, Victor and Chris, her step grandchildren Mathew and Jessica Greaves, her great grandchildren, Lyla, Connor, Will, Ellie and Brayden. Grandmother was the epitome of Irish Class, Humor, Directness and Beauty. Services will be on Friday October 4th 10AM (please arrive early) at Fourth Presbyterian Church 5500 River Road Bethesda, MD 20816 (301) 320-3600. A procession and graveside services will immediately follow at Parklawn Cemetery at 12800 Viers Mill Road, Rockville, MD 20853. There Nancy will join her husband, Rolfe, in eternal rest.
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