Happy 101st Birthday to Mrs. Nancy E. Fitch

Join me in sending Birthday Blessings, Love and Hugs to an amazing, sweet and intelligent woman Mother Nancy Fitch. She is the 2nd oldest blessing to the Bethel Baptist Church Family.

God blessed the community to celebrate her 101th Birthday at her home this year!

THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN DEPUTY CLERK AND CITY CLERK IN MOUNT VERNON and after over 20 years as a LITERACY VOLUNTEER, - Nancy Fitch retired at the age of 94.

On Monday, March 9th, Legislators Alfreda Williams and Lyndon Williams presented a Proclamation to the legendary Nancy Fitch. The Westchester County Legislators officially designated March 11, 2015 as NANCY FITCH DAY in Westchester County.

The ceremony was very well attended and each Honoree had numerous family members and friends in the audience but when introduced, Fitch received a thunderous applause from the many supporters in attendance from Mount Vernon.

Fitch was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina and moved to Scarsdale, NY as a little girl escaping the racism and segregation of that terrible era in America. During her teenage years, she lived a fairytale life in Scarsdale since her parents worked in a huge mansion where her dad was a butler and her mother was a maid. She had the best of everything growing up.

In 1946, Nancy married Robert F. Fitch, the organist for Saint John the Divine Episcopal Church and Trinity Episcopal Church in Mount Vernon. They settled in Mount Vernon and had three children together and often states, “God is my constant companion and He knows my every need.”

She later went on to become the first black woman Deputy Clerk and City Clerk in Mount Vernon, along with an incredibly long list of unprecedented assignments and awards.

Nancy finally decided to retire from her real estate position and as Coordinator of the Literacy Volunteers Learning Center at the Mount Vernon Public Library, where she led the organization’s involvement in the national African-American Read-In Chain for over 20 years.

Her service and commitment for the betterment of the Mount Vernon community and Westchester County is legendary and unmatched.

Nancy Fitch, 94, retired after 22 years as a literacy volunteer at Mount Vernon Public Library.

Volunteerism grabbed Mount Vernon’s Nancy Fitch by the heart and never let her go. Nearly 70 years after serving as a den mother for the Boy Scouts, the 93-year-old Realtor maintained a commitment with a variety of groups.

“My parents saw to it that, as an only child, I wasn’t selfish and that I made time to help others,’’ said Fitch, who worked for Houlihan Lawrence in Bronxville.

“I think I started before most people even know what volunteerism was. It was just a part of your life. I met a young man recently who is now a judge, and he said I gave him his first job doing things around the house. Young people don’t forget things like that. I have a place in their lives, and that makes me feel special.”

One of Fitch’s primary passions as a volunteer was her work with the Literacy Volunteers of Westchester County. She had been working with the group for 22 years, and taught students three days a week. “I see the great need for people to communicate so that they can fit into society and they can have a good life,’’ Fitch said. “If they can’t read or write, they’re in big trouble.”

The range of ability with whom she worked varied. Some have worked with her for a few months. She says that her students stay with her as long as they need, sometimes for several years. Fitch says the reward is seeing students progress.

“It’s like a cactus flower,’’ Fitch said. “The cactus doesn’t flower often. When they do, it’s beautiful to see. For someone who is just learning to read to say ‘Oh, I get it,’ makes me feel good.”

Her list of activities is endless. She was a Brownie and Girls Scout troop leader, and was the first and only African-American president of the Westchester County Republican Woman’s Club. She still serves on the Mt. Vernon Church Women United Board of Directors, and has served on boards for the Visiting Nurses of Westchester, the County Parks, Recreation and Conservation, and the Westchester County Urban League. She was inducted into the Westchester County Senior Hall of Fame in 1996 and received the Leadership Award.

Even with all of her activities, she is regular churchgoer at Bethel Baptist Church in White Plains under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Edward O. Williamson. She sang in the choir, served as an usher and taught Sunday school. She was baptized in the same church.

Fitch’s wisdom is espoused clearly and succinctly: “God is my constant companion, and He knows my every need.”

Westchester County, Mount Vernon and White Plains honor MRS. NANCY E. FITCH!