Nancy Elizabeth Gibson, beloved of a large and close-knit family, died unexpectedly in her sleep on Thursday, March 3, just two days before her 61st birthday.

Nancy was born in Madison on March 5, 1961, to John and Eunice Gibson. At just four years old, she moved with her family to Panama City, Panama, for her father’s work in USAID. She entered a local Pre-K, the Kinder Alicia, where she soon learned Panama-accented Spanish to perfection.

When the family returned to Madison, she attended Spring Harbor Elementary School, Jefferson Middle School, and Memorial High School. In her last year of high school, she was paralyzed by injuries in a car crash. She endured long months in the hospital and several surgeries. Thanks to a tutor provided by MMSD and her studious habits, she kept up with her school work and graduated with her class in 1980.

Nancy obtained a degree from Madison Area Technical College and worked as a messenger in the State Assembly. She answered the phone as part of the very first legislative hotline, thus polishing her already strong people skills. Nancy worked at the University of Wisconsin for several years, after which she began her career in communication at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation Office of Public Affairs. She retired in 2017.

Nancy enjoyed many hobbies, including singing, cooking, and learning. For many years she participated in the Madison College Community Show Choir with her siblings, where she made many friends. A talented chef, she enjoyed baking for friends and family and watching cooking shows. In retirement, she began listening to podcasts and learning something new. Over her life, she greatly enjoyed traveling to visit family in Spain, Italy, and the Pacific Northwest.

Nancy was preceded in death by her father, John Gibson. She is survived by her mother, Eunice Gibson, her sisters, Laura Gibson (Jon Manchester), Ellen Morris (David Morris), and her brothers, Paul Gibson (Stephanie Adler), and Patrick Gibson, as well as the aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, and nieces who loved her so much. Family was the most important facet of Nancy’s life, and she was a true pillar of hers. We will miss her so.

A memorial service will be held at MOUNT OLIVE LUTHERAN CHURCH, 110 N. Whitney Way, Madison, on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, at 11:00 am, with Rev. Mark Baldwin presiding. A visitation will be held at CRESS FUNERAL HOME, 3610 Speedway Rd., Madison, on Monday, March 14, 2022, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm and at church on Tuesday from 10:00 am until the time of service.

Instead of sending flowers, friends might wish to make a contribution in her honor to Encore Performing Arts in Madison or to Amnesty International. Nancy loved attending her dear nephew Robbie Morris’s performances in Encore presentations, and her car was never without the Amnesty International bumper sticker.

Cress Funeral & Cremation Services

3610 Speedway Road

(608) 238-3434

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