NANCY MARNELLOS

LINCOLN — Our family mourns the loss of our beloved matriarch, Nancy Marnellos, late of Lincoln, Vt., who passed away on Oct. 29, 2025, at the age of 81. Nancy was born on April 7, 1944, in Forest Hills, N.Y., to Walter and Sheila (O’Leary) Scharf. The family moved to Ridgewood, N.J., when Nancy was a teenager, where she graduated from Saint Luke’s High School. She went on to receive a B.S. in Chemistry from Rosemont College, and later a master’s in Social Work from Fordham University.

Nancy dedicated her whole life to helping countless people through her social work and hypnotherapy practice. Nancy was also instrumental in founding the Federally Qualified Health Center in Addison County, Vt. She served on that board for over a decade.

Nancy lived her life with the mission of helping others, always leading with compassion and love. She was a source of wisdom and comfort to her countless friends and beloved family, whom she was always eager to offer support. She found meditation in her thirties. Her practice deepened her connection to herself, loved ones, and the natural world. It was a lifelong resource and refuge for her.

Nancy enthusiastically embraced all aspects of life. She saw the beauty in every person and everything. Nancy was deeply connected to Nature, from the beaches of Hawai’i to the Green Mountains of Vermont.

Nancy was predeceased by her parents, Sheila and Walter Scharf; and her half siblings, George (Junie), Brad and Ann. She is survived by her daughters, Christina and Cori Marnellos (Joseph Bowling); her beloved granddaughter, Alexis Marnellos; her brother, Dan Scharf (Joanne); her sister, Tina Scharf (Jamie Dolan); and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

We would like to thank UVM Cardiology, especially her long-time cardiologist, Mark Tischler, who respected her health care decisions. We would also like to thank UVM Home Health and Hospice, especially her nurses Cheslea and Haley, for their incredible care and support.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to UVM Home Health and Hospice, https://www.uvmhealth.org/give-back/give-to-uvm-health.  A celebration of Nancy’s life will be held in the spring and announced at a later date. ◊