Longtime licensing executive Nancy Gendimenico passed away on November 8 from esophageal cancer at age 68.

A former buyer for such retailers as Bloomingdale’s and Lord & Taylor, Nancy’s licensing career included stints at United Media, where she handled properties such as the Peanuts and Garfield, working directly with their creators Charles Schulz and Jim Davis; the BBC; and, finally, Champion Athletic Wear, a division of Hanesbrands, Inc. Following her retirement from Hanesbrands, she established her own firm, Elan Brand Licensing LLC.

While working full-time, Nancy entered an MFA program in creative writing at SUNY-Stony Brook and earned her degree in 2015. She was a truly gifted writer and her personal essays and articles have been published in literary journals and various on-line publications. For more about Nancy’s background and to read her work, go to www.nancygendimenico.com.

She is survived by her partner for 17 years, Peter Conrad; Peter’s daughter Jenny; Jenny’s fiancé Josh Hemley; five siblings and seven nieces and nephews.