Nancy Lee

Nancy J. Lee, 64, of Sun City West, Arizona passed away March 23, 2014. Nancy was born July 25, 1949 in Lowell, Massachusetts to Robert and Ruth Ward. She was the second oldest child of nine children and oldest of seven daughters. She graduated from Lowell High School in 1967 and began a secretarial career at Hanscom AFB, MA and subsequently moved to Albuquerque, NM. In 1975, in Albuquerque, Nancy married Craig M. Lee. The couple enjoyed nearly 39 years of marriage and raised two children, Jacqueline (Michael) Mahoney of Carlsbad, CA and Byron (Michelle) Lee of Gilroy CA. Nancy is remembered as a wonderful person, loved by her family and friends, as she loved them. She was smiling and smart, upbeat and laughing, and she was always there to lend a helping hand. As ‘Nana’ she was proudest of her grandson and newborn granddaughter. The iPhone arrived just in time to allow her to collect and share their many photographic moments. Nancy was dedicated to her career as a Certified Professional Secretary in the federal civil service, before the children were born. Her secretarial career included positions as secretary to the Technical Director of the Advanced Radiation Technology Office at Kirtland AFB, NM and in the office of the Director at Ames Research Center, Moffett NAS, CA. As a mother, Nancy was involved at all the children’s schools, volunteering for classroom and after-school programs. The wife of a career USAF officer, Nancy relocated six times. Most memorable of her travels was two years in the Republic of Seychelles in the Indian Ocean, the wife of the USAF Tracking Station commander. This community of many nationalities fascinated Nancy and led to her continuing interest in foreign languages and people of other cultures. After raising the children, she earned an Associate in Arts degree at De Anza College in Cupertino, and began a second career as an engineering aide, working first at Ames Research Center and then for the City of Cupertino. She especially liked the camarderie of her many friends on the city staff. She retired from the city in 2004. Following retirement Nancy volunteered for church activities and served in congregation offices. For many years she helped make the hand sewn, annual 'auction quilt' at the Sunnyvale Community Services. Nancy and Craig moved to Arizona in 2012, where they found a new home with the 'family' at Fountain of Life. Nancy enjoyed sewing, quilting, cooking, genealogy, and traveling, especially in the western United States and Canada, visiting state parks, national parks and many historical sites. In addition to her husband and two children, Nancy is survived by a grandson, Connor Mahoney, a granddaughter, Piper Lee, and by eight brothers and sisters. A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am, April 7, 2014 at Fountain of Life Lutheran Church, 15630 Del Webb Blvd, Sun City, AZ. Inurnment will be at the columbarium at Fountain of Life Lutheran Church. The family will receive friends at the church fellowship hall following the memorial service A second memorial service will be held at 11:00 am, April 25, 2014 at the Lutheran Church of Our Savior, 5825 Bollinger Road, Cupertino, CA. The family will receive friends at the church fellowship hall following the memorial service. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Memorial Fund at either church or to Cardiovascular Research, Mayo Clinic, www.philanthropy.mayoclinic.org.