Nancy Boggess

Nancy Elizabeth Weber Boggess passed away peacefully at her home in Boulder Colorado on November 29, 2019. Nancy Boggess was born on April 29, 1925 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania and was raised by her parents, Edward Weber and Irene Deeds Weber in Upper Darby Pennsylvania. She is survived by her husband of 67 years, Albert Boggess III and her three children, Albert Boggess IV, Edward Deeds Boggess, and Amenda Boggess Stanley. In addition, she has multiple grandchildren and great grandchildren. Throughout her long life, she was a loving wife and mother and her extraordinarily positive and friendly outlook on life, and her boundless energy touched everyone she met.

Nancy Boggess also had an extraordinary career as an astrophysicist. She received her Bachelors Degree in mathematics and music from Wheaton College in Massachusetts and a Masters Degree in mathematics from Wellesley College. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Michigan where she met her husband, Albert. She then joined NASA as an astronomer and played a key role in many NASA projects. In particular, she helped develop and launch the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) which mapped the entire night sky in the infrared spectrum. She was also part of the team of scientists who developed the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) which eventually led to a Nobel Prize for John Mather in Physics in 2006 for precise measurements of the cosmic microwave background radiation that was left over from the Big Bang. After retiring from NASA in 1993, Nancy and Albert traveled the world to pursue their hobby in bird watching. Together, they documented observations of over 8000 species of birds.

Nancy will be forever missed by her family.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, please make a donation to a charity of your choice.