Nancy Crabbe grew up in St. Louis but has lived most of her life in northern New Jersey. She married soon after high school and postponed college while raising three children. As time and family allowed, she took college courses at a number of institutions and earned her degree from Thomas Edison State College.
In 1978, she joined the First National Bank of Toms River, New Jersey as a teller and discovered that she loved accounting. After taking courses in accounting, she passed the CPA exam on her first try. Her talent and hard work led in time to becoming a senior vice president and controller of the bank.
As her career blossomed, Nancy desired an excellent business education and came to the Executive MBA Program at Wharton which she describes as “the highlight of my business life. It validated my abilities as a businesswoman.” She received her degree in 1988. Her Wharton training later helped her develop a business plan to start a new bank in Toms River. The Shore Community Bank opened in 1997 with Nancy as its Treasurer.
Now retired, Nancy devotes her time to eleven grandchildren, traveling, gardening and occasional sailing races in M-scows, E-scows and sneak boxes. As part of her retirement planning, Nancy wanted to increase her annual income while also helping Wharton. She chose a charitable gift annuity which she funded with appreciated stock. This resulted in a guaranteed annual income for life and a deduction from current income taxes, helped her avoid capital gains and estate tax—and gave her the satisfaction of making a generous gift to Wharton. “I am so grateful for my Wharton education,” said Nancy. “It made a huge difference in my life.”