‘Nancy’ Longstreth, civic champion

Anne Claghorn "Nancy" Longstreth, 87, whose life was a variation of a classic "Philadelphia Story," died Sunday of pneumonia at her Chestnut Hill home.

Mrs. Longstreth came from a prominent Philadelphia family and became her own family's breadwinner when her husband's political career took a turn. He, of course, was W. Thacher Longstreth, the longtime City Council member and two-time mayoral candidate.

Mrs. Longstreth, who battled multiple sclerosis for most of her life, made her own mark as a top real estate broker, gardener, parks advocate, and mother of four.

In a statement, Mayor Nutter said: "Nancy was wonderful, a true champion of our park system, but more importantly, she was a great Philadelphian and a warm and gentle soul."

A lifelong resident of Chestnut Hill, Mrs. Longstreth was a great-granddaughter of Justus C. Strawbridge, a cofounder of Strawbridge & Clothier, on whose board she would serve.

She was a graduate of the Springside School, and in June 1941 she married the tall and courtly Longstreth, a freshly minted graduate of Princeton University.

Their wedding headlined the society pages, with The Inquirer reporting that she was "radiant in a gown of ivory tone satin, fashioned on princess lines, with a deep yoke of rose point lace." The reception was held at her family home, Annesley.

The couple had barely settled into their own home in Chestnut Hill when World War II broke out and Thacher Longstreth joined the Navy, serving as an intelligence officer.

In 1955, he ran unsuccessfully for mayor as a Republican with his wife at his side. A year later, Mrs. Longstreth was elected a GOP committeewoman, a position she held for 10 years while raising her children.

In an interview with the Bulletin in 1957, Mrs. Longstreth said that she did not know how to boil water when she married and that cooking was not a favorite pastime.

"I'd rather work in the garden, paint the house, or build a brick wall," she said. Frankfurters split down the center, filled with sharp cheese, wrapped in bacon and broiled, were described as a favorite dish.

After he was elected to City Council in 1967, Thacher Longstreth ran again for mayor, against Democrat Frank L. Rizzo in 1971, and again lost.

When the Rizzos moved to Chestnut Hill two years later, Mrs. Longstreth penned a newspaper article welcoming them to the neighborhood.

"Chestnut Hill has the reputation of being the home of Philadelphia's 'Old Money,' " she wrote. "That is a deserved reputation, but it is fading fast. There are not many old families here."

For 15 years before that and for about a decade after, Mrs. Longstreth worked as a real estate broker, putting in six-day workweeks and often being recognized as the top seller in her firm.

"I learned everything from her," said her daughter Ellen Longstreth Goodwin, also a top real estate broker.

Mrs. Longstreth said in 1971 that she got into real estate because her husband's first mayoral campaign had cost them. "One basic reason was to make money," she said. "I was trying to get us out of debt."

The Longstreths' life together took a baffling turn in 2001 when he filed for divorce, apparently intent on marrying his chief of staff. He died in 2003 before a divorce was finalized.

Mrs. Longstreth worked for many charities, including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and was a member of the board of the Philadelphia Parks Alliance.

She had been a member of the Garden Club of Philadelphia for 50 years, her family said.

Besides her daughter, Mrs. Longstreth is survived by another daughter, Anne Longstreth Delay; sons Peter and William T. Jr.; 12 grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.

Services will be private.

Donations may be made to the Philadelphia Parks Alliance, Box 12677, Philadelphia 19129-0077.