Breese, Mary NC “Ency” (1919–1999)

1919–1999

Parents: James Lawrence Breese II (1884–1959) and Marjorie Howard Gorges (1894–1974).
Spouse: (1) William Kingsbury Pitcher (1919–1977); (2) Nelson Dean Jay Jr. (1911–1993).
Children: With Nelson Jay: Wendyl Breese Jay (1952–).
Kinship: Seventh cousin twice removed of the post–World War II Smith generation.

Early Life

Mary NC Breese—affectionately called “NC” or “Ency”—bore one of the most unusual names in the family tree. She was named in honor of the NC-4, the Navy Curtiss flying boat on which her father served as engineer and pilot during the first successful transatlantic flight in May 1919, just months before her birth.

Born on January 28, 1919, in Washington, D.C., she spent her early childhood in the adventurous household of James and Marjorie Breese. The family moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1928, settling on Upper Canyon Road, which would remain her base for much of her life.

Skiing Pioneer

NC became known as a talented horsewoman and one of Santa Fe’s pioneering skiers. In the 1930s, as a teenager, she participated in the early development of the Hyde Park Ski Area, helping to introduce organized recreational skiing to northern New Mexico.

Marriage and Wartime Service

During World War II she married William Kingsbury Pitcher (1919–1977), a Stanford-educated skier and instructor at Sun Valley, Idaho. There, NC joined the wartime rehabilitation efforts at the resort, helping convalescing servicemen recover through recreation and physical training. Pitcher served as a pilot and training officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps, and after the war he established a flight school in Santa Fe. The marriage ended in divorce.

Life with Nelson Dean Jay Jr.

In 1951, NC married Nelson Dean Jay Jr. (1911–1993), the son of a prominent banker. The couple resided on the Breese family property on Upper Canyon Road while maintaining additional homes in Aspen, Colorado, and Peña Blanca, New Mexico. They were married for 42 years until Nelson's death in 1993.

Together they raised their daughter, Wendyl Breese Jay (born 1952). NC also had three stepchildren from Nelson's previous marriage: George, Susan, and Richard Dana Jay.

breese-mary-nc-ency-1919-1999

Nelson D. Jay and Kudoo of the WAGS

Later Life

Nelson died in 1993 while sailing around the world, fulfilling a lifelong dream. Mary NC Breese Jay died on August 21, 1999, in Santa Fe, at the age of 80.