NANCY LOUISE HOUSTON
December 19, 1934 ˜ May 23, 2022

Stop to pick up beautiful leaves. Cut out articles, recipes and comics to send to loved ones. Catch house spiders in a jar and release them outside. Take home too many library books. Draw the wing pattern of a moth that lands on your screen door. Admire the architecture in a wasp nest. Try all kinds of art, including painting, pottery and hula. Make friends in all places: your neighborhood, your bank, your grocery store, art, swim or dance class. Think the best of others, unless they are a condescending doctor. Write letters to the editor and to businesses that exploit their workers. Laugh hard enough to spit your drink out. Commiserate with loved ones. And stay open to new pets who might follow you through your front door or fly into your backyard.

These are life lessons we cherish from our beloved mother, grandmother and friend Nancy Houston, who died unexpectedly, at age 87, on May 23 in Vancouver, WA. Born to George and Dorothy Martin in Nogales, AZ, she spent early childhood in New Orleans until moving to Portland, OR. She worked at the Bonneville Power Administration, where she met Claude, her husband, with whom she settled in Vancouver, and who preceded her in death. She spent several years as a nursing assistant, helping older folks maintain their independence.

Nancy loved her children and grandchildren very deeply. They include her stepdaughter Patti, sons Claude and Brett, daughter Elizabeth, daughters-in-law Shannon and Dana, son-in-law David, and grandchildren Robert, Jessica, Benjamin, Jay, Nita, Roy and Emmeline, all of whom survive her. She became known affectionately to grandchildren as "Grancy."

Nancy's many pets included strays that found her, such as a dog that followed her into the house, three cats she met on her morning walk, and a parrot who flew into her life for 26 years. A believer in conservation, animal rights, pesticide-free gardening, recycling everything possible, and disposing of batteries correctly, she knew a lot about the plants and animals that surrounded her and that she encountered on her daily walks of several decades with a dear friend.

Nancy was a wonderful artist, and formed great friendships through art. She introduced art practices to her children and grandchildren. She was very dedicated to her friends, taking joy in their lives and admiring the ways they were amazing. She researched topics they appreciated. She took the time to send notes to people, sometimes including her own drawings. While she thought the best of others, she wasn't above shaking her fist at an occasional driver.

A celebration of life will be held later this month.