Doris B. Nash, a member of Greenwich Village’s Community Board 2 since 1992 and a former social worker, died at home in the West Village early last Sunday evening. She was 83.
Ed Gold, a veteran member of the volunteer board, said Nash had not attended meetings the last few months. He said an attendant who had been taking care of Nash told him Nash had had a series of strokes in the last three or four weeks, followed by another stroke a week ago.
Nash was a clinical social worker and also a public policy advocate and lobbyist. She chaired Board 2’s Social Services Committee for several years. She was a member of the Waterfront Committee, though was removed along with six other members when the committee was purged last year by former C.B. 2 Chairperson Aubrey Lees. Nash was also a board officer, assistant secretary.
Nash was originally appointed to the board by then-Councilmember Tom Duane. In her application to then-Borough President Ruth Messinger for reappointment to Board 2 in 1996 Nash wrote: “I am very familiar with state and local governments and how they ‘work’ and have been a successful lobbyist for health programs. — I am also very interested and concerned with issues related to the Greenwich Village waterfront and hope to help protect it from commercialization.”
Nash lived in a duplex in a large apartment building near the west end of W. 12th St. Her place was furnished with tasteful art, Gold recalled.
“She was a very warm personality, very kind,” he said. “Social justice was important to her. She loved having friends over to enjoy in political discussion. She liked traveling and loved to hold dinner parties.”
Brad Hoylman, another Board 2 member, said, “She was a very nice woman —but also tough and smart.”
Divorced, she had been married to a dentist. She had two sons, Michael, who lives in Boston with his family, and Matthew, who is single and lives in Manhattan, where he is a dancer.
Gold will say a few words about Nash at Board 2’s May 20 meeting. A memorial is planned on Sunday at Riverside Chapel, W. 76th St. and Amsterdam Ave., at 12:45 p.m.
