Obituary of Nancy Burnham Teravainen

Nancy Burnham Teravainen 83, of Duxbury, died peacefully at home on May 11, 2014. Born June 14, 1930, she was the daughter of Charles Kenneth Burnham and Ethel Pratt Burnham of Connecticut and Duxbury. She was the wife of the late George Teravainen for 56 years. Mother of Peter and his wife Veronica of Singapore, Pamela White and her husband Bill of Herndon, Virginia, Paul and wife Kathleen of Sandwich, MA and Charles of Duxbury. Grandmother to Taina Teravainen, Kathryn White, Nancy White, Thomas Teravainen, Daniel Teravainen, Patrick Teravainen, Lilli Teravainen and Jack Teravainen. Sister to Priscilla MacCallum of Duxbury, Susan Burnham of Quincy and Kenneth Burnham of Maine. Nancy graduated from Simmons College with a degree in nursing. While she worked as a nurse she integrated her career with motherhood as she raised her four children. Her career as a nurse and related fields spanned 50 years as an employee of Duxbury Public Schools, Brockton Public Schools, and Pembroke Hospital. Nancy was also the manager and owner, with the late George Teravainen, of Camp T, a summer day camp for hundreds of Duxbury children from 1954 through 1984. She was the camp nurse, transportation specialist, bookkeeper and ‘office’ manager. Camp T was transformed into T Farm, known for its blueberries, raspberries, peaches, eggs and Christmas trees. Many parents of many families that come to pick blueberries or buy Christmas trees were “campers” and still remember and love to tell their stories of those “good ol’ days at Camp T”. Nancy was an avid book reader and was in several book clubs. She enjoyed playing bridge, gardening, canoeing, walking her dog Penny at the East Street Bogs and harvesting those delicious T Farm blueberries. She was a perpetual learner and often took courses such as wood working, belly dancing, painting, canoeing, Asian culture, Stocks and Bonds and pottery to name a few. Always active, she was a docent for The Art Complex of Duxbury, and at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She also volunteered her time at the Lydia Drake Library, Meals on Wheels and the Duxbury Thrift shop. She loved hosting extended family cookouts and holiday gatherings, always taking in the “kid who couldn’t go home from college for the holiday”. She embraced technology and was interested in “everything Internet” like tablets, Facebook, Kindles, Smart phones, Skyping with her son in Singapore, playing with the Wii or just trying to keep up with the new things the grandkids brought into the house. She was also an old fashioned girl who loved to play games, do puzzles, and crafts. She loved to knit sweaters, slippers, socks and even boiled wool bags. She was a great cook with a passion for baking while creating recipes for things like blueberry cake and bourbon pecan pie being her specialties. An enthusiastic traveler, Nancy visited places such as Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, Iceland, Spain, Amsterdam, Turkey, Italy and Switzerland. She would often time combine trips to follow her son while he played professional golf. Long ago summers wouldn’t be complete without camping in Maine at Larry Dunn’s. She poured the best “half cup” of coffee in West Duxbury! There will be a memorial celebration on May 31, from 1-3 PM at United Methodist Church on High Street in Duxbury, MA 02332. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions in Nancy’s memory may be made to Cranberry Hospice, 36 Cordage Park Circle, Suite 326, Plymouth, MA 02360.