In loving memory of
Nancy Lynn Rennie
February 15, 1945 - May 17, 2023
How does one sum up 78 years of life in a few paragraphs?
By God's Grace and mercy, Nancy Lynn Rennie died peacefully in her sleep the morning of Wednesday, May 17, 2023. She is survived by her son Brady Young, her daughter-in-law, Nicole, and her grandchildren Grant and Parker; her stepson Brian Rennie and his family; and her sister Sue Theel and her family, and cousins.
On February 15, 1945, Nancy was born in Muskegon, Michigan, daughter of Vera and JJ Powers, and younger sister to Sue. Her family relocated to Tucson, AZ, for her father's work with Howard Hughes (now Raytheon). She attended Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, AZ, and then transferred to and graduated from Catalina High School.
Full of life and laughter, Nancy met and married her first husband, Stan Young, and had their son Brady, in October 1974. Though her marriage to Stan did not last but a handful of years, and she remarried, one thing remained constant: her fierce love for her son. She valued education, and college was the expectation for him. She stressed good manners and politeness; and she modeled being nice to others. Nothing annoyed her more than people who were rude or mean.
Nancy loved her two grandsons; they became her pride and joy, and they would often talk, laugh, and play cribbage on the patio, enjoying the cool night air. Weekend family dinners were a regular highlight of the week, especially birthday celebrations when she would make their favorite, "Birthday Casserole." When she could, she went to their martial arts belt tests and soccer games, and she was amazed at their talent and passions. She always made the holidays fun, especially Christmas and her knack for finding quirky and thoughtful gifts for them. Their bond with her was close and beautiful; they miss her and feel her absence already. As for a mother in law, Nicole feels blessed to have had Nancy as her adopted mom all these years, a mom would give you the honest truth - what you needed to hear, not what you wanted to hear.
Nancy was a voracious reader and always had a book recommendation if not the book itself to share with family and friends. In fact, she didn't want the book back; she wanted the book to be passed on so others could enjoy it. She loved Mexican food and margaritas; Pavarotti, the Bee Gees, and Elvis; Sunday morning crosswords and sudoku puzzles. She was the friend you would greet walking by her patio, stopping to share a story or swap a book; she was ready with a kind word or piece of advice. She would give a knowing nod while she listened; she would clip recipes that sounded good, and then she would "fix" them. She will be remembered and missed every day, her handprint forever on our hearts.
Her last words to Brady were about how children become the most important aspect of one's life, "you were that for me."
No church services will be held since that wasn't Nancy's style, but a celebration of her life will be planned for her family and friends. For information, email nancyrenniememorialinfo@gmail.com.
In lieu of cards or flowers, the family humbly requests that donations to Translational Genomics at www.tgen.org (Click Donate) be made in her honor to further the strides being made in personalized disease treatments.