Nancy Chandler was a Rotarian’s Rotarian. She was the first female member of the Rotary Club of Norfolk, initiated into the club just two short years after Rotary began admitting women. She followed in the footsteps of her husband, Webster (Web) Monroe Chandler, Jr., as a member of our club. At the time of her death on March 27, Nancy was our oldest member.
She exemplified “Service Above Self” through her involvement with numerous organizations including the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul, Friends of the Library, and the Chrysler Museum. She also served on the Vestry of the Church of the Good Shepherd and was on the board of Westminster-Canterbury, The Ballentine, and Heritage Bank. With roots backed to the early 17th century in Isle of Wight County, she was a member of the Virginia Society of the Colonial Dames and the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Armed with a degree in mathematics from the College of William & Mary, Nancy taught math at Blair Junior High School. After three years, she became a devoted mother of three children—two sons and a daughter. During that period, she devoted her time as a Girl Scout and Cub Scout troop leader.
In 1969, she got her realtor’s license and began selling real estate part-time. In 1974, she launched Nancy Chandler & Associates hiring women from their mid-20s to their fifties. Using the motto “We get people and places together,” Nancy Chandler & Associates became the leading real estate firm in Norfolk in the 1980s. In 2019, the firm was sold to Rose & Womble Realty.
Nancy was an engaging conversationalist who welcomed new members and regularly attended our meetings until recently. She was a Paul Harris Fellow. Her daughter-in-law, Lisa Chandler, is a member of the club and past president.