Nancy E. (Carter) Palmer

Nancy Ellen Palmer (93) passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 11, 2026 at Goddard House Assisted Living in Brookline, MA, where she received excellent care for the past 7 months. Nancy was born on June 14, 1932, to her parents, Frederick and Marie Carter.  She grew up in South Brookline with her 5 siblings, Mary, Joan, Elizabeth, Frederick, and Viola, where they had adventures in the woods behind their family home, which she recalled fondly. She graduated from Holy Cross Academy on Beacon Street in Brookline and spent two years at a secretarial school, which led her to a career as an office manager at the Union Labor Life Insurance Company, 6 Beacon Street, Boston. She excelled at her job and enjoyed the independence it afforded her. She traveled with her sisters and bought a little black Renault. She eventually met Arthur Palmer, whom she wed on May 19, 1962, at Sacred Heart Church in Newton, MA. They were married for 55 years and were most proud of the family they shared. Their home was always bustling with their children and grandchildren, especially on Sundays, when they hosted a family brunch to bring everyone together. Nana, as she was fondly known, always had a compliment for those she interacted with. She was gentle and kind with a wry sense of humor. Always up for participating in posing for pictures with props, showing her silly side. She loved to relax with a cup of coffee and the Boston Herald each day. She was an avid news watcher as well, keeping up with current events and any news the family shared.

She is survived by her four children, Nancy Sexton and her husband Thomas Sexton of Needham, Janet Palmer of East Hampton, NY, Arthur Palmer and his wife Jennifer Palmer of Belmont, and Marie Palmer and her partner Brian Donahue of Hingham. She was the lucky grandparent of 10 grandchildren, whom she loved: William Floyd, Sarah Floyd, Kara Sexton, Tracy Sexton, Bridget McGillicuddy, and her fiancé Daniel McCormick, Hannah McGillicuddy, Frederick McGillicuddy, Josephine McGillicuddy, Sean Palmer, and Elena Palmer. She is also survived by her siblings, Elizabeth Ingram and Viola Carter. The family adored her, and she will be greatly missed. Relatives and friends are invited to attend her funeral Mass on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at 10:30 AM at Sacred Heart Church, 1317 Centre Street, Newton, MA 02459. Burial will follow at St. Joseph's Cemetery, Lagrange St, West Roxbury, MA