Milestone: Former Holliston Resident Retires
Nancy Burke FitzGerald retired this month from her 15-year teaching engagement on the Cape. Nancy moved to Falmouth from Holliston in 2000.
It is thanks to her friend Melissa Malloy Ford that the Holliston Reporter became aware of Nancy’s milestone. Melissa said, “Nancy and I literally grew up together. I have known Nancy and the Burke family [since] when my family rented a large apartment in the Burke’s huge, old house—the Town Poor Farm—in East Holliston.”
We contacted Nancy, who gave us some details of her time in Holliston as well as her time in Falmouth. “I began my work in Holliston while I was still in college. I worked in the park system and ran the park program my senior year. That same year I began coaching the high school gymnastic team. I continued to coach for several years and began my own gymnastic school in town for 17 years.”
Nancy told us that after earning a degree in Early Childhood Education, she became an aide to John Leonard’s kindergarten class, where she claims, “I learned more about teaching than any class I took.”
While teaching all-day kindergarten at the Happy Hollow, a private school in Framingham, she began teaching at Fisher College, and later at Lesley College and Dean College. Following her move to Falmouth, Nancy continued to commute to Framingham for 4 years before accepting a position at Falmouth High School, running the preschool and internship program.
Nancy’s aunt, Mary Truesdale, a 2nd grade Holliston teacher, was her inspiration to become a teacher. Nancy explains, “Growing up with 9 siblings and, of course, also Melissa, DeeDee and Patti, we were as close to sisters as you get. You learn a lot about patience, compassion, love and caring about others. My parents, my siblings, and my teachers gave me great inspiration, so teaching always came easy to me.”
Additionally, Nancy credits her Holliston roots, “Holliston will always be important to me. I am who I am today because of the great education I started with. It was so great—that is why my husband Kevin (of 47 years) and myself raised our children there.” Kelly FitzGerald Mahar, Colleen FitzGerald Carter, and Kevin FitzGerald all graduated from Holliston High School.
Now anytime Nancy’s children and her 9 grandchildren drive through Holliston, “They always make a stop at Fiske’s. Holliston is a town that will always be a part of my whole family.”
To read more about Nancy’s time in Falmouth, see Falmouth Enterprise article.
