Nancy M. Horstmann

Nancy was born in Newark, NJ and grew up in Chatham, NJ. She married her husband Ted in 1960 and they moved from Short Hills, NJ to Wilmington, DE where they lived for nearly 60 years.

Nancy was passionate about childhood education throughout her life, focusing particularly on children with learning differences. She was a founding member of the Parent Information Center of Delaware and was appointed to the Governor’s Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens by Delaware Governor Mike Castle in 1995. Nancy served for 20 years on the Federal Task Force for the Department of Education to evaluate schools nationwide. Nancy and her husband Ted started the Formative Play Center for early childhood intervention, which then became the Centerville Layton School for children with learning differences in Wilmington, DE. Nancy acted as a hearing officer/judge in the Delaware Family Court. In her work as a special education advocate, Nancy travelled to Tanzania, including with a group of Lehigh University students in 2014, to deliver donated program computers and funded numerous schools, additionally she and Ted supported several Maasi village schools in Tanzania with donations of school supplies and books for many years.

When she wasn’t advocating for children, Nancy could be found on the beach with a book or having a glass of wine with friends. She and Ted loved to travel the world, making friends as they went.

She is survived by her husband Ted, sister Kathee Johnson of Prescott Valley, AZ, three sons Erich (Maria), Carl (Joy), Douglas, five grandchildren Javier (Christina), Benjamin (Jessica), Samuel (Alexis), Allegra, Isabella and one great grandchild, Blair.

In lieu of flowers, please keep the family in your thoughts or provide a donation to your choice of an Alzheimer’s Organization.