Nancy Anne (Severson) Hamilton-Brandt

Nancy Anne (Severson) Hamilton-Brandt, age 86, passed away on Tues., Nov. 1, here in Austin. She was born on Aug. 7, 1936, in Minneapolis, the only child of Myron and Grace (Munson) Severson. Nancy was, always, the great pride and joy of their lives.

When Nancy was about 13, the family moved to Clarksdale, Mississippi. Nancy graduated from Clarksdale High School in 1952. She then attended Carleton College in Minnesota, working at resorts such as Lutsen’s (Lake Superior) and Madden’s (Gull Lake). She graduated with a B.A. in biology (1958). She noted that her diploma identified her in Latin as “Annem Annem,” “Nancy” being a diminutive of “Anne.” Later in life, when she pointed this out to her children, they observed that it was like the Latin name for the buffalo: “Bison Bison.” This became a family standard, even appearing in Nancy’s obituary.

She next attended Radcliffe College (now Harvard), graduating with an M.A. in History of Science. There she met her future husband, Harvard graduate student, Terrell Hamilton. They wed in Clarksdale on June 20, 1959. In 1962 they moved to Austin, where Nancy stayed at home to raise the children. Anyone who knew Nancy knows that this was not the life for her. And thus, she later returned to college at UT, earning a second M.A., in mathematics. She then taught math at UT and wrote software for Tracor (now BAE), working on things like missile and submarine sonar systems.

In 1986, she and Terrell divorced and 5 years later, in 1991, she married Herb Brandt. Her years with Herb were the happiest of her life – even more than living in Mississippi! Together they enjoyed art, bird-watching, cooking, movies, music, reading, and traveling. In their later years, she showed early signs of dementia (which had ravaged her father to his death). Herb was her bulldog, moving with her into Westminster and then gradually coaxing her into memory care. He was never more than a few doors away. Nancy’s friends and the Westminster staff, in particular, tenderly watched over her and did all they could to “reach” her. She died with family present.

She was preceded in death by her parents, as well as Terrell and Herb.

She is survived by her son, Rowan Hamilton of San Carlos, CA (who, like his parents, graduated from Harvard), and her daughter, Rebecca Hamilton, who lives here (and did not graduate from Harvard but, alas, Cornell – “It is too in the Ivy League!”). Also surviving her are grandson, Angus Hamilton, a student at U.C. Santa Barbara and granddaughter, Dr. Rachel King, an associate professor of archaeology at University College of London, as well as two great-granddaughters, Marion Jill and Edith Mae McGranaghan.

A memorial gathering for Nancy will be held Wednesday, November 9, 2022 at 1:00 PM at Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78752.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cookwaldenfuneralhome.com for the Hamilton family.