Obituary of Nancy E. Romain

Nancy Romain, aged 77, passed away on April 8th, 2025, at Morristown Medical Center with family by her side. Born Nancy Smickle, she grew up in Bridgeville, New Jersey, where she lived with her parents, William and Alda Mae, and three beloved younger sisters above the family’s gas station. Nancy graduated from Douglass College with a degree in mathematics as the first person in her family to attend college. After graduation, she joined Bell Labs in Whippany. A coworker, Dennis Romain, asked her on a date—and became her treasured husband of 44 years. They settled together in Morristown.

As a technical manager at Bell Labs, Nancy took pride in cultivating her team and supporting them as whole people. Her passion for leadership inspired her to get a Master’s of Management Science at Stevens Institute of Technology. She later worked as the Accessibility Coordinator at the Morris Museum, where she found joy in developing innovative programs for people with disabilities. For decades Nancy volunteered in support of homeless families, including many years with Family Promise of Morris County. She was a longtime parishioner at St. Vincent Martyr Church in Madison.

Nancy always looked for ways to include people who were at risk of being overlooked or left out. She savored life’s little comforts, like her afternoon hot chocolate and the cheerful yellow walls in her kitchen. And she loved to talk with people and learn their stories. She would share her own stories, too—about her experiences, the lessons she’d learned, and especially about her daughters, Lisa and Laura, and her grandson, Matthew.

In the last two decades of her life, Nancy returned to a pursuit that she’d enjoyed as a young woman: painting. She dedicated herself to honing her craft, approaching each painting as an opportunity to develop new skills, and her art is remarkable for its detail, realism, and vibrancy. In recent years, Nancy also adopted two wonderful dogs, Molly and Willow. Through taking them for walks, she came to befriend and build community with many of her neighbors.

When Nancy’s daughters were young, she often told them, “Moms know everything.” That may or may not be true, but Nancy’s wisdom and warmth will be missed by many. She is survived by her daughters, Lisa and Laura (Neil Templeton), of whom she was so proud; her two-year-old grandson, Matthew, whose antics never failed to delight her; her sisters, Jane Kartzman (Steven), Jill Csovelak (Jim); and Christine Pohl (Rich), who were also her cherished lifelong friends; her sister-in-law, Mary Ellen Kranz (wife of the late Ken Kranz), who inspired her in many ways; her nieces and nephews and their children; and her friends. While we miss her dearly, we take comfort that she is now with the person who was her rock for so many years—her late husband, Dennis.

Family and friends are welcome to gather on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, from 4-7pm at Burroughs, Kohr & Dangler Funeral Home, 106 Main St. Madison, NJ. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated  at 10am on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at St. Vincent Martyr Church, Madison. Interment will follow at Holy Rood Cemetery, Morristown, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, please consider contributing to Family Promise of Morris County (www.familypromisemorris.org) in honor of Nancy.