Nancy Jean Viola

Nancy Jean (Weaver) Viola was born July 13, 1937 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At age six her family moved to a then semi-rural community on the outskirts of Evansville, Indiana. There she enjoyed riding her horse, accompanied by her dog Bobbie, and her love for animals was evidenced by the numerous cats she tended in an out-building, known as Nancy’s cat house, and an assortment of other pets. She also enjoyed the annual Peach harvest from the Weaver family

orchard.

Nancy attended Reitz High School, where she was active in student government, a cheerleader and queen attendant. She was a delegate to Hoosier Girl’s State, elected to the National Honor Society and was named Outstanding Senior Girl by Quota Int. Always active, she was an excellent swimmer. After graduation she attended Purdue University. There she was also a cheerleader, a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, and secretary of her senior class. She was a member of Purdue’s first class to receive a degree in Elementary Education.

Nancy began her teaching career in 1959 in the Cincinnati, OH area, but the next year she ventured to the San Francisco Bay area, where she taught in the San Mateo school system. It was there that she met her husband Vic and they both found that they enjoyed tennis, hiking in the Sierras and Marin County, and rowing on the Russian River in Napa Valley. They also found a mutual love for musical comedy. Nancy and Vic were married in December of 1962.

After the wedding the couple moved to Geneva, Switzerland, where she taught at the International School. In addition to skiing and hiking in the Alps, they toured Europe and spent many hours at the local tennis club. From Geneva the next stop was Hinsdale, Illinois in 1964. Sons Charley and Randy were born during that time and biking and hiking with the kids became a regular routine for the family. In 1966 their itinerant lifestyle was abandoned for the College Park, Maryland, area and daughter Gina was born shortly thereafter. Until the children were all in school, Nancy put her teaching career on hold but eventually resumed it, teaching in Silver Spring, MD and later receiving a Master’s degree from Bowie State College, where she subsequently served as an Instructor. In the community she was active in assisting at the nursery school and was an officer in the swim club. She enjoyed biking along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, vacationing on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Delaware Bay, as well as hiking in the Shenandoah National Park.

In 1980 the family moved to Bloomington, IN, which would be home for the next 29 years. Initially, Nancy did part-time substitute teaching, but her major enterprise became managing a small farm, with a herd of cattle that eventually grew to 30 head. No cattle ever received more loving care then hers. In 1984 she resumed teaching at Lakeview Elementary School near Bloomington, to which she dedicated herself until retirement in 2000. The farm enterprise gradually phased out a few years later. Thereafter, her principal pursuits were reading, knitting and swimming.

In 2007, with all three children now living in Colorado, Nancy and Vic re-located once again, this time to Golden, CO. There she was able to enjoy her grandkids and have all three children in close proximity.

After suffering a severe fall, subsequent complications ended her life on December 17, 2016. Her welcoming smile and engaging personality will be missed. Nancy was preceded in death by her father Charles Weaver, mother Dorothy Weaver, sister Phyllis Smale and brother Charles Weaver. She is survived by her husband Vic; son Charley, wife Ariane and children Lauren, Elise and Alexander; son Randy and wife Heather; and daughter Gina Brown, husband Casey and children Ben and Griffin. A celebration of life will held at a later time. In lieu of flowers, in her memory those who wish are urged to contribute to their local food bank or the United Nations Children’s Fund.

Arrangements under the direction of Olinger Woods Chapel, Golden, CO.