Nancy Swift Dingwall Platt passed away peacefully and feeling much love at her home on April 14, 2026. Originally from Wellesley Hills, Mass., and later Fort Lauderdale, Fla., she spent almost 60 years in her chosen hometown of Rye.
Nancy cherished the communities she shared there, including the Rye Presbyterian Church and Manursing Island Club. She also thrived by participating in her book club, her women’s outreach group, and by singing in the RPC choir.
A graduate of Miss Hall’s School and Mount Holyoke College, Nancy was a religion major, a music minor, and a childhood spelling bee champion. Nancy was also very proud of her career in human resources at Life Magazine, HBO, and Time Warner, where she developed and implemented the Work and Family Life Initiative.
Nancy lived a rich, full, and rewarding life of love and music, laughter, and service. Nancy loved to sing and was part of the Mount Holyoke V8s. Singing is how she met her future husband, Princeton Tigertone Hunter Platt.
Nancy also loved to laugh, do needlepoint, complete the New York Times crossword, play tennis, sail, read books, watch golf, and cheer for “her boys” — aka the Boston Red Sox. She took great joy in attending Broadway shows with family and friends.
Lots of people think their mom is a special person, but Nancy’s kids believe their mom was truly special. Nancy’s endless capacity for love, empathy, laughter, smiling, kindness, music, faith, joy, knowledge, optimism, gratitude, generosity, loyalty, and persistence remains an inspiration — not only to her four loving children, eight grandchildren, and one great-granddaughter but also to her large chosen family.
Nancy inspired and touched the lives of countless devoted friends and colleagues as well as so many of her children’s friends, her friends’ children, and simply everyone she knew.
May her memory be a blessing. Of the many blessings and privileges her four children have been fortunate enough to receive, they believe having Nancy as their mother was undoubtedly, as she would say, “number one.”
There will be a memorial service and celebration of Nancy’s life at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at the Rye Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Association.
