Nancy Ann Burston
Nancy Ann Burston, 72, of Trumansburg, N.Y., passed away peacefully Sept. 15, 2021, surrounded by her immediate family. Originally from Richville, N.Y., a small town near the Canadian border, Nancy and her husband, former Orient resident Terry Clingen, lived outside Trumansburg for 45 years.
When Nancy’s family moved to Watertown, N.Y., in her junior year of high school, she became an exchange student and lived in Peru.
She attended Albany State University, where she met many of her lifelong friends. She earned her undergraduate degree there in 1971. She continued her education through graduate studies at both Syracuse University and Cornell University, where she earned her Ph.D.
During her time at Albany State, Nancy met brothers Timothy and Terry Clingen of Orient, N.Y. She became good friends with Tim and Terry, and the entire Clingen family. Their parents, Edward and Blanche (Latham) Clingen, opened their home to Nancy and she made frequent trips to the island throughout her college years. Nancy officially became part of the family in 1978, when she married Terry Clingen at their home in Trumansburg.
Nancy’s ties to Eastern Long Island grew over the years. She loved walking the beach, going clamming, visiting friends and relatives or just enjoying lunch out in Greenport. When Ed and Blanche passed away, she maintained the family home and cottages in Orient along with Terry and Tim, making many enjoyable visits to the island.
Nancy is survived by her husband, Terry Clingen; their daughter, Marissa Burston Clingen, and son-in-law, Alex Goddard, of Maryland; her sister, Diane Sherwood, and husband, Roger, of New York City, and their son, Bradley, and his wife, Helen, of Connecticut; Nancy’s brother-in-law, Tim Clingen of California; and many cousins and close friends spread throughout the country.
Anyone who knew Nancy also knows how much she loved her pets. Over the years, she took in and cared for countless homeless pets and donated to many rescue organizations. In lieu of flowers, a donation in her name to the SPCA of Suffolk County will help continue her efforts.
A Celebration of Life will take place in the Ithaca, N.Y., area in the spring of 2022 and later in Orient Point, where her ashes will be interred.
This is a paid notice.
