Memorial Service Live Stream:
Events
The Memorial Service will take place on Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 2:00pm EST at the River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation, located at 6301 River Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817. For those unable to attend the funeral service in-person, you can participate remotely by joining the virtual funeral service link above.
Order of Service
Obituary
Nancy Heaton Henningsen died peacefully in her sleep on April 27, 2026, three weeks after her 88th birthday. She was the beloved wife of the late Alan Romberg, beloved mother of Alex, and beloved grandmother of Madeline, Lucas and Gemma. She spent her childhood in Milwaukee, where she was born in 1939, and lived her adult life on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and the Bethesda, MD area.
Nancy received her BA in history from DePauw University in Indiana, her MA in history from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, and her Ed.D in Educational Administration from Columbia University. She taught for many years at The Brearley School in Manhattan, becoming Head of the History Department, was a Middle and Upper School Director at Packer Collegiate Institute, the Calhoun School, and Sandy Springs Friends School, and was the founding director of an alternative middle school in the New York City Public School system. Her devotion to the well-being of children led her to pursue yet another degree, this one an MSW in counseling from the University of Maryland, becoming a psychotherapist, focusing on young children and teenagers. She was an adventurous traveler, leading educational tours to Russia, China, and Greece; her favorite destinations were China and Japan. Nancy was a life-long collector of pottery throughout her travels. Always a generous and loving person, she coordinated a project to bring books to children in orphanages in Nepal. Nancy was a social activist throughout her life, becoming more engaged with racial justice issues through her long-time membership with River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation, where she served on the Board of Trustees. She was also the author of Return of the Ospreys (Peregrine Press). Her greatest joy was her son and grandchildren. She was also a loving friend and gracious hostess to many.
She is survived by her son, Alexander Henningsen Southwell; her grandchildren, Madeline, Lucas and Gemma Southwell; her step-grandson Oliver Romberg; her sister, Ellen Henningsen (Jim Gentry); her stepchildren, Laura Romberg and Jon Romberg (Denise Rodgers); nieces Kate Henningsen (Rhett Martin) and Kim Henningsen Honeysett (Chris Honeysett); and nephew Peter Gentry (Jen Gentry). She was preceded in death by her husband of 25 years, Alan Romberg; her prior husband Michael Southwell; her parents, Mary and Victor Henningsen; and her brothers Phil and Paul Henningsen.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 16 at 2 pm at River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 6301 River Road, Bethesda MD 20817, and will be live-streamed at dmvmemorials.com/obituary/nancyhenningsen/
Memorial contributions may be made to:
• River Road River Road Unitarian Universalist Congregation College Access Fund by sending a check to RRUUC, 6301 River Road, Bethesda MD 20817 and adding IMO Nancy Henningsen on the memo line, or donating online at https://onrealm.org/rruuc/-/form/give/now and selecting “Donation” from the dropdown menu and then indicating “IMO Nancy Henningsen/College Access Fund” in the memo.
• Riderwood Staff Employee Scholarship Fund by sending a check made out to “Riderwood Scholarship Fund” (add IMO Nancy Henningsen in the memo line), and mail to: Riderwood Scholarship Fund, 3110 Gracefield Road, Silver Spring, MD 20904, or donate online with a credit card using the following link:
https://donations.erickson.com/s/?com=rwv&fund=sch