Born in Wilkes-Barre, PA on April 9, 1937 to Marjorie and W. Sterling Casterlin. Nancy graduated from Meyers High School in 1954. She attended Wilkes College and graduated from Penn State University with a BS degree in Chemistry in 1958. In 1978 she received an Associate Degree in Fashion Design from Harper Junior College in association with the Art institute of Chicago while living in Schaumburg, Il.
Nancy moved to the Rio Grande Valley in 1978 with her husband and 2 children where she initially worked with batik artist and fabric designer Muriel Chandler at Caribatik. She later earned her real estate license, and then became a Sales Representative for State Chemical Manufacturing Co. until she retired in 1997.
Over the years, she served as treasurer of the Republican Women’s Club, was a Harlingen HS Band Booster, Concert Manager for the Harlingen Concert Assn (and later a board member). She also served as Social Chair for the UAW Retired Workers Council and was a member of the Harlingen Does (Elks Auxiliary). She was a volunteer at the Harlingen Heritage & Arts Museum, and was a member of the AAUW and of the Advisory Board for The Center for Creative Retirement.
She was married to Harley Peterson from 1994 until his death 2008. She was preceded in death by her parents, Marjorie and Sterling Casterlin, her first husband, Oscar A. (Jack) Knight Jr, her second husband, Harley K. Peterson, and recently her companion Sanford A. (Sam) Mattern.
She is survived by her son Bryan Knight of Port Chester, N.Y.; daughter Kristy Knight Cuizio (Gary) of Brooklyn, NY and Dallas, PA her step-daughter, Lee Schostak, of Spring Lake, MI and her niece Miriam Burns of NYC.
She loved to travel having visited all 50 states, over 110 countries, and completed 108 cruises on various ships for a total of more than 1000 days at sea.
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