Nancy Hayes Sununu (May 27, 1939 – September 7, 2024) was an American politician, education advocate, and former first lady of

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

from 1983 to 1989. The

matriarch Matriarchy is a social system in which positions of power and privilege are held by women. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege, and control of property. While those definitions apply in general English, ...

of the Sununu political family and an influential figure in state politics, she was the wife of former

New Hampshire governor The governor of New Hampshire is the head of government of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The governor is elected during the biennial state general election in November of even-numbered years. New Hampshire is one of only two states, along w ...

John H. Sununu and mother of former governor

Chris Sununu Christopher Thomas Sununu ( ; born November 5, 1974) is an American politician and engineer who served as the 82nd governor of New Hampshire from 2017 to 2025. A Republican Party (United States), Republican, Sununu is the son of former New Hamps ...

and former

United States senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

John E. Sununu. Nancy Sununu served as the chair of the

New Hampshire Republican Party The New Hampshire Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New Hampshire. Its executive committee is headed by Chairman Jim MacEachern. Elected officials Republicans have a state government trifecta in New Ha ...

, coinciding with the

1980 United States presidential election United States presidential election, Presidential elections were held in the United States on November 4, 1980. In a landslide victory, the Republican Party (United States), Republican ticket of former California governor Ronald Reagan and form ...

. 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 Dartmouth (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ) is a coastal town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. Old Dartmouth was the first area of Southeastern Massachusetts to be settled by Europeans in 1652, primarily English. Dartmouth ...

, on May 27, 1939, but was raised in

Brockton, Massachusetts Brockton is a city in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 105,643 at the 2020 United States census. Along with Plymouth, Massachusetts, Plymouth, it is one of the two county seats of Plymouth County, Massachusetts, ...

, and

Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer months. The ...

. Her parents, Edward and Eleanor (née Christie) Hayes, were teachers of

Irish American Irish Americans () are Irish ethnics who live within in the United States, whether immigrants from Ireland or Americans with full or partial Irish ancestry. Irish immigration to the United States From the 17th century to the mid-19th c ...

descent in the

Brockton Public Schools Brockton Public Schools (BPS) is the school district of Brockton, Massachusetts, United States. The Brockton Public Schools is the fifth largest school district in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and proudly serves among the most diverse stude ...

system. She received her

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Medieval Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six years ...

from

Boston University Boston University (BU) is a Private university, private research university in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. BU was founded in 1839 by a group of Boston Methodism, Methodists with its original campus in Newbury (town), Vermont, Newbur ...

. 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 The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

(MIT). The couple had eight children: Catherine, Elizabeth, Christina,

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

, Michael, James,

Christopher Christopher is the English language, English version of a Europe-wide name derived from the Greek language, Greek name Χριστόφορος (''Christophoros'' or ''Christoforos''). The constituent parts are Χριστός (''Christós''), "Jesus ...

and Peter. In 1970, Sununu moved to

Salem, New Hampshire Salem is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 30,089 at the 2020 census and an estimated 30,647 in 2022. Salem is a northern suburb of Boston located on Interstate 93. As the first town along I-93 north ...

, with her family. Nancy Sununu, together with her family, rose through the ranks of the

during the 1970s to became Chair of the

New Hampshire Republican State Committee The New Hampshire Republican Party is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in New Hampshire. Its executive committee is headed by Chairman Jim MacEachern. Elected officials Republicans have a state government trifecta in New Ha ...

, the leader of the state party. Her chairmanship of the New Hampshire GOP coincided with the landmark

, in which

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan (February 6, 1911 – June 5, 2004) was an American politician and actor who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He was a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party a ...

was elected

President of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president directs the Federal government of the United States#Executive branch, executive branch of the Federal government of t ...

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 An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless of whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority (either their own or that of th ...

. 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 A board of directors is a governing body that supervises the activities of a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government agency. The powers, duties, and responsibilities of a board of directors are determined by government regulatio ...

Rivier University Rivier University is a private Catholic university in Nashua, New Hampshire, United States. Rivier is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education and approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education. History The schoo ...

, a Catholic college in

Nashua, New Hampshire Nashua () is a city in southern New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 91,322, the second-largest in northern New England after nearby Manchester, New Hampshire, Manchester. It is on ...

, and chair of the Salem School District in

. She was awarded

honorary doctorate An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...

s from St. John's University,

St. Thomas Aquinas College St. Thomas Aquinas College (STAC) is a private college in Sparkill, New York. The college is named after the medieval philosopher and theologian Thomas Aquinas. It was founded by the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill, whose headquarters are in th ...

, and

Iona College Iona University () is a private Catholic university with a main campus in New Rochelle, New York, United States. It was founded in 1940 by the Congregation of Christian Brothers and occupies a campus of in New Rochelle and a campus of in Bro ...

for her work in education. Sununu died from

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

on September 7, 2024, at the age of 85. Her funeral was held at St. Theresa Catholic Church in

Rye Beach, New Hampshire Rye Beach is an unincorporated community along the Atlantic Ocean in Rye, New Hampshire, United States. It is located along New Hampshire Route 1A near the southern border of the town of Rye, directly south of Jenness State Beach and north of L ...

, on September 13, 2024, and was buried in the Pine Grove Cemetery in Salem, New Hampshire.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sununu, Nancy 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