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Nancy Standard, 90, Longtime Greenwich Resident

GREENWICH, Conn. – Nancy Drake Standard of Greenwich died Wednesday, Aug 22. She was 90

Standard was recognized by Greenwich Time as Community Leader of the Year in 2001. Her early commitment to making Greenwich a beautiful place began with wearing a sandwich board at the Thruway shopping center and collecting money to plant trees in the parking lot, Standard's daughters said.

She was born Aug. 4, 1922, in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Charles Drake and Katherine Besarick Drake. Standard graduated from the Roycemore School in Illinois and attended Denison University. She met her husband, Chuck, a Navy pilot, at a dance. After the war, they lived in Evanston, Ill., before moving to Greenwich in 1954. 

Standard was a member of the Greenwich Tree Conservancy and Old Greenwich Garden Club. She led the effort to clean up Rosa Hartman Park in Stamford and an abandoned pre-Civil War cemetery in Old Greenwich.

She discovered several monuments to fallen soldiers at Riverside School that had become overgrown. Her family said that she quietly kept them clean and ensured that flags were placed for Veteran's Day.

Standard and her husband also arranged for color guards to present the flag during Veteran's Day ceremonies at every Greenwich elementary school. 

She was a founding member of the Turkey of the Month Club, a play-reading group, and a puppeteer, performing for hundreds of children's birthday parties. Standard most enjoyed putting on fashion shows using her vast collection of vintage clothes.

Started as an effort to entertain seniors at Greenwich Retirees Eating and Tarrying Society (GREATS) events, her fashion shows raised thousands of dollars for charity. She was asked to put on a fashion show at Ventfort Hall in Lenox, Mass., and for Prince Andrew at the Greenwich Country Club. 

Standard was a lifelong member of Rocky Point Club and a member of Riverside Yacht Club, where she received the "Lady of the Year" award in 2010.

She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Chuck; two daughters, Debbie and Patti; two sons-in-law, Tom and Henry; an adoptive son, John; seven grandchildren and two great-granddaughters.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. Leo P. Gallagher and Son Funeral Home in Stamford is handling arrangements.

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