Nancy Elizabeth Lehan, 78, of Bedford, died on April 28th, 2015, following a courageous battle with cancer.

Mrs. Lehan was born in Brighton on April 14, 1937, the youngest child of Irish immigrants, Patrick and Annie Mae (Loftus) McCadden.

She was raised in North Cambridge and was a graduate of St. John's High School, Class of 1955. A classic Irish beauty, she was selected to be "Miss Buddy Poppy" by the local VFW in 1955.

She enjoyed her years growing up in Cambridge and she loved to tell stories to her family of her many adventures with her best friends Ellie, Mary Ellen, and Marion, including Sunday afternoon trips to eat spaghetti at the Venice Cafe in Somerville, and Summer weekends on Cape Cod where she ultimately met her husband.

Prior to her marriage, she worked at 10 Post Office Square and at Monarch Life Insurance Company.

In 1958, she married Daniel J. Lehan and they lived in Somerville briefly before moving to Bedford where she and Dan raised their five children.

She was a homemaker until the youngest, Amy, went to school, when she began working part-time at Davidson's Pharmacy and then full-time as the Registrar at Bedford High School in 1982 until her retirement in 2005.

She is survived by her loving husband; Daniel J. Lehan, her children and their spouses; Mary Beth Robinson and her husband Michael of Bedford, NH, Joanne Lehan Tamayo of Tampa, FL, Michael J. Lehan and his wife Debi of Weymouth, Patricia A. Lehan and her husband Sonhando Estwick of NY, NY and Amy Lehan-Coon and her husband Paul of Maple Grove, MN, two sisters; Patricia Deveau of Watertown and Mary Darragh of Charlestown, her brother; John McCadden of Wareham, and eleven grandchildren; Matthew, Joseph, Caroline, Olivia, Daniel, William, Alyssa, Jack, John Michael, Natalie, and Emily.

"Fancy" Nancy will be very much missed and remembered for her warmth, graciousness, and strength of character. Her family will carry out her wish that they gather in her memory in Fairlee, Vermont where they share so many cherished memories of family Summer vacations at the Rutledge Inn and Cottages on Lake Morey.

Her funeral will be held from the Bedford Funeral Home, 167 Great Rd., Bedford, on Monday, May 4 at 8:00 AM, followed by a funeral Mass in St. Michael's Church, 90 Concord Rd., Bedford, at 9:00 AM. Visitation at the funeral home on Sunday, May 3rd 2:00PM-6:00PM

Memorial contributions may be made to, St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Pl., Memphis, TN 38105.