Nancy J. Jacobson Caffyn (August 21, 1934 in

Middletown, Connecticut Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States, Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, it is south of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated by English settler ...

– May 26, 2010) was an American politician who served as the mayor of

South Windsor, Connecticut South Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 26,918 at the 2020 census. History In 1659, Thomas Burnham (1617–1688) purchased the tract of land now covered by the towns of South Windsor and East Har ...

from 1977 to 1979 as the 3rd Barnstable District representative in the

Massachusetts House of Representatives The Massachusetts House of Representatives is the lower house of the Massachusetts General Court, the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is composed of 160 members elected from 14 counties each divided into single-member ...

from 1999 to 2001. Caffyn grew up in

East Hampton, Connecticut East Hampton is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 12,717 at the 2020 census. The town center village is listed as a census-designated place (CDP). East Hampton includes the boroughs of Cobalt, Middle Had ...

. Her father, Arthur Jacobson was a member of the

Connecticut Senate The Connecticut State Senate is the upper house of the Connecticut General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The state senate comprises 36 members, each representing a district with around 99,280 inhabitants. Sena ...

. At the age of 21 she married

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal ...

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

Allan Caffyn. After his service the couple moved to South Windsor, Connecticut where she served as the town's mayor. Following her divorce, Caffyn moved to her summer home in

Mashpee, Massachusetts Mashpee ( wam, Mâseepee) is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States, on Cape Cod. The population was 15,060 as of 2020. The town is the site of the headquarters and most members of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, one of two feder ...

. From 1991 to 1999 she was a member of the town's board of selectmen. In 1998, she was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives, succeeding five-term incumbent Thomas Cahir who ran for

Barnstable County Barnstable County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the population was 228,996. Its shire town is Barnstable. The county consists of Cape Cod and associated islands (some adjacent islands are in Duk ...

Sheriff instead. In 2000, Caffyn was voted Legislator of the Year by her colleagues. After one term in the house, Caffyn decided not to run for reelection, choosing to spend more time with her family and concentrate on her health. Caffyn died on May 26, 2010, following a thirteen-year battle with cancer.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Caffyn, Nancy 1934 births 2010 deaths Politicians from Middletown, Connecticut Republican Party members of the Massachusetts House of Representatives Mayors of places in Connecticut People from South Windsor, Connecticut People from Mashpee, Massachusetts Yale University alumni Women state legislators in Massachusetts 20th-century American politicians 20th-century American women politicians Women mayors of places in Connecticut 21st-century American women