Nancy Curtis Kraushaar was born to Lavalette Stevenson Curtis and Austin M. Curtis in Newark, New Jersey, on April 17, 1925. She passed peacefully on May 5, 2014, with her family by her side.
An excellent student, she received a scholarship to study at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania in 1943. After graduating from Wilson College, magna cum laude with a degree in Physics in 1947, Nancy received a scholarship to MIT, where she earned a Master’s Degree in physics.
After college, she completed post graduate work at Brookhaven. There she met her future husband, Jack, who was completing his PhD in nuclear physics. They were married in Orange, New Jersey in 1951. In 1953, Nancy and Jack moved to Menlo Park, California, where Jack was a junior faculty member at Stanford University. Jack was offered a position at the University of Colorado, and in 1956 they moved to Boulder.
In Boulder, Nancy had many passions that she actively pursued. Always well versed in current events and with strong opinions, she was involved in the League of Women Voters and the Democratic Party in the 1960s and 1970s. For a period she chaired the Democratic Party of Boulder County. During this time she also served as campaign manager for several local Democratic candidates.
During her 50 plus years in Boulder, Nancy faithfully attended Boulder Meeting of Friends (Quakers), waiting over 40 years to become a member. Her main interest was ministering to the less advantaged of Boulder and she was an active member of the service committee for many years. She also served on the nominating and fellowship committees.
Nancy had a passion for the creative arts and during various periods was a potter, artist, seamstress, knitter and weaver. She was an exceptional cook. She was particularly interested in weaving, especially in rugs made by the Navajo Indians, which added to the enjoyment of the many trips Jack and Nancy made to the southwest.
Nancy loved outdoors activities, including gardening, camping, backpacking, birding, canoeing, and skiing. She hiked and cross country skied into her 70s. Nancy and Jack were avid travelers, residing for periods in Holland, Japan, and Canada in conjunction with Jack's work. After his retirement, they took many Elderhostel trips and continued to explore the world.
She is survived by her three sons, Jeffrey, Steven, and Mathew, grandchildren Andrew, Lisa, Sabina, and Ben, daughters-in-law Nancy and Cindy, and sister Elizabeth Crane, who resides in Santa Barbara, California. She was preceded in death by her husband of 53 years.
A Meeting for Worship to celebrate Nancy’s life was held on Saturday, May 24, 2014.