Nancy J. Siemers

November 5, 1943 - April 15, 2022

Nancy James Siemers (nee Wilson) was born November 5th, 1943 in Portland, Oregon to James Wilson and Mildred Fox. She attended Oregon State University as an undergraduate and received a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education at Indiana University and was a member of Pi Lambda Theta education honor society and an honorary member of the Cum Laude Society. Her career spanned a number of public and private schools including Chief Joseph School in Portland, the Indiana University Laboratory School in Bloomington, and Sapulpa Public Schools in Oklahoma. She spent twenty-five years as a 4th and 5th grade English teacher at Holland Hall School in Tulsa, OK before retiring to Staunton, Virginia to help raise her grandsons. While in Staunton, she also worked as a classroom assistant at Staunton Montessori School. She raised two sons, Troy and Robert Siemers, as a single mom, doing all of the jobs of mother, cook, chauffeur, cheerleader, and more. Her devotion to her family was best summed up in a talk she gave at a conference for single working mothers in 1987 entitled, “Bringing Home the Bacon and Cooking It Too”. Nancy loved gardening and never missed an opportunity to photograph the abundant blooms that she nurtured around her home. Her family fondly remembers her passion for dancing and roller-skating, and her laughter and smiles left an indelible mark on all she met. She had unparalleled fashion sense, and could accessorize any outfit, particularly with a well-chosen scarf. She loved a good Baja Bean margarita, too. Nancy passed away on the morning of Good Friday, April 15th, 2022, at Brightview Baldwin Park in Staunton, surrounded by her sons and their partners. She is survived by her sister Sally, her brother James (Mary Ellen), her two sons Troy (Emily Sproul) and Rob (Sallyann Hammond), three grandsons Calvin, Wesley, and Augustus, and a number of nieces and nephews. Her ashes will be interred at Skyline Memorial Gardens in Portland in a plot alongside both of her parents. A private memorial gathering for her Staunton community will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make a small donation to a charity of your choice. Nancy always gave what she could even if she didn’t have a lot, as evidenced by the hundreds of address labels she had from any charity that sent her a request. Above all, share a smile and a laugh with anyone you meet and continue to pay forward the love she gave to all of us.