Nancy C. Haynes, of Sag Harbor, died on Tuesday, September 24, at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital at the age of 74.
Ms. Haynes was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina on October 21, 1944 to Martha Wylly Appleton and Captain David Ely Cain. She grew up in Jamestown, Rhode Island and had deep New England roots. Ms. Haynes was a graduate of St. Catherine’s Academy in Newport, Rhode Island and attended Vernon Court Junior College, also in Newport, and the University of Rhode Island where she studied music.
Ms. Haynes first marriage took her to New York City where she worked at Pappagallo shoes and sang in The Blue Hill Troupe. She was also a contestant on the Match Game during her time in Manhattan. Although the marriage was short-lived, Ms. Haynes and her ex-husband remained lifelong friends.
Ms. Haynes returned to Jamestown, Rhode Island, where she met and married the father of her children — Vanessa Ely Dowling of Santa Cruz, California and John Christopher Dowling of Greenport, New York.
She met her third husband and relocated to Warren, Vermont in the Sugarbush Valley. They settled into the Bridge House on Prickly Mountain, featured in Time magazine, designed by experimental Yale Architectural Students. There she started working at Atlantis Weather Gear.
In 1977 the company was purchased and relocated to the Grumman building in Sag Harbor by the owner of Waterfront Marina. Ms. Haynes and her two children moved with the company and made their home in Sag Harbor. She met her fourth husband at a boat bottom painting party at a local boat yard. She and her children would move aboard his 32’ Pearson Vanguard for the summers, going back-and-forth to work by dingy. Their summer vacations would include cruising the coast of New England.
In 1981 they traded up to a Cheoy Lee 36’ and embarked on a year-long trip to the Bahamas. Family members joined in at different legs of the trip further strengthening her family’s bond with the sea and each other. Although her marriage came to an end, the family bond established with her stepchildren — Peter Haynes, Laura Haynes, Audrey Haynes Niewenhous and Jessica Haynes Persan — lasted her entire life.
When Atlantis Weather Gear was sold again, Ms. Haynes was offered the job of managing the marina, a job she held for 30 years. Known as Dockmommy, she became highly respected in the yachting community. She transformed waterfront Marina from a small pleasure boat marina to a mega yacht marina putting Sag Harbor firmly on the Hamptons map.
Ms. Haynes was a founding member of the Breakwater Yacht Club and served as Commodore from 1993 to 1994. She served on the Sag Harbor Village Harbor Committee and was active in local politics. She loved to cook and was known to be quite the gourmet. She had a wide circle of eclectic friends. She loved to play bridge, Pokeno and to travel.
In addition to her daughter, Vanessa Dowling and son Chris Dowling, she is survived by her siblings, Louisa Bisbing, David Cain, Thomas Greig and Betsey Hyman, her step children, Laura Haynes, Peter Haynes, Audrey Niewenhous and Jessica Persan and her grandchildren Nicholas Dowling, Abigail Gianis, Sophie Holmes, Celia Hanson, Kori Hahn, James Wilson and Rose Worthy.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Breakwater Yacht Club on Sunday, October 6, from 2 to 6 p.m. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Breakwater Yacht Clubs scholarship fund.
Staff Writer on Oct 1, 2019