Nancy Ann Gardner

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September 15, 1935 – January 3, 2021

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  • Nancy Ann Gardner
    Nancy Ann Gardner
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Nancy Ann Gardner, 85, of Green Valley, Ariz., passed away peacefully on January 3, 2021, at Northwest Medical Center in Tucson, Ariz.

She was born September 15, 1935, to Samuel and Ola Person in Tecumseh, Neb., and graduated from Tecumseh High School in 1953. She attended the University of Nebraska and UN College of Medicine, graduating in 1957 with a degree in medical technology. On August 24, 1957, she married Jack Gardner, and the union lasted 63 years until her passing.

After graduation, Nancy worked as a Medical Technologist in doctor’s offices in Lincoln, Neb., at Great Plains Medical Center in North Platte, then the American Red Cross until retirement.

Her life was enriched by faith, music, and an innate desire to help others. As a devoted member of the Episcopal Church, she sang in the choir and served on the Altar Guild at Episcopal Church of Our Savior in North Platte and St. Francis in the Valley Episcopal Church in Green Valley. As a lifelong lover of music, she was an accomplished pianist and organist and sang in the Heartland Singers Community Chorus in North Platte. In the community, she was a 4H leader and a mentor to middle-schoolers as a member of Teammates.

After living in North Platte for 40+ years, she and her husband retired and moved to Green Valley. Once in Arizona, she fell in love with the Southwestern culture, arts and food. She was a passionate Nebraska Cornhuskers football fan. She loved to travel and discover new places. They took trips to several memorable places in the United States and Europe.

She truly appreciated humor. She could also be very funny without even knowing it. When she got frustrated, she would often say, “phooey,” “fiddlesticks” or “oh, crumb.” She was quick to share a variety of recipes that could fill up a cookbook. Whenever family visited, she had a meal ready for all. At the top of everyone’s list were her homemade breads and rolls.

She was surrounded by loving family all across the country. She is survived by husband Jack of Green Valley, Ariz.; daughters Jeanne (Rick) Navarrete of North Platte, Neb., and Kathy (Randy) Yates of Mitchell, Neb.; son John Gardner (Tammy Salman) of Eugene, Ore.; grandchildren Jennifer Navarrete of Boulder, Colo., Amy (Zachary) Weigelt of St. Robert, Mo., Gina (Pete) Kinnaman of Thornton, Colo., and Elliott Gardner of Eugene, Ore.; and great-grandchildren Madison, Brayden, Brooklynn and Owen Weigelt of St. Robert, Mo.; Enrique and Alonzo Nieto of Thornton, Colo.; and Isla Sites of Boulder, Colo.

She was preceded in death by her brother Samuel Person Jr. and great-grandson Xavier Nieto.

A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Special Olympics at https://support.specialolympics.org/a/give-in-your-state