Nancy May Adams Houtz, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, volunteer and friend, passed away peacefully December 17th following a seven-year battle with Alzheimer’s.

Nancy was born on January 30th, 1934 in Andover, MA to Helen Calder Williams Adams and George James Adams. Her younger brother George (Jim) James Adams Jr preceded her in death two years ago.

Nancy grew up in Andover with Scottish immigrant grandparents and a very close-knit extended family. She was especially close with her first cousin Helen (Tina) Ellis Watkinson, and they enjoyed celebrating many a Hogmanay (a Scottish New Year’s celebration) together.

As a child during the Second World War, Nancy remembered food rationing and “brownouts” on the east coast, whereby her father would walk around the neighborhood turning out gas-lit streetlamps and asking neighbors to shut off lights for fear enemy planes were nearby. Her mother went to work in the Lawrence, MA woolen mills when men were called to war.

Nancy graduated from Punchard High School in 1951 where she was on the yearbook committee, social committee and in drama club. In her junior year, she received the lead in her high school play whereby she spoke with a French Canadian accent. The play won first place in an all-New England contest. Nancy always loved dancing, especially to live big band music. She danced to famous band leaders such as Duke Ellington and Les Brown when they came to Boston.

Nancy always knew she wanted to be a nurse. She worked throughout high school and college, putting herself through the Malden School of Nursing, earning an R.N. in 1954 and later a B. S. in Nursing Education from Boston University in 1957. She worked in myriad nursing capacities at the Boston University Medical Center and the New England Baptist Hospital. Nancy was an instructor at the Malden School of Nursing and working towards her Masters degree when, at the age of 30, she met her future husband through The Scientific Introduction Service.

Nancy and Norm, who was living in Akron, OH, filled out lengthy questionnaires and received each other’s names in the mail. They corresponded for many months and she fell in love with him through his letters before they even met. After many plane trips back and forth, they were married a year later on June 5th, 1965 at the Free Christian Church in Andover.

Nancy and Norm relocated to Enfield, CT where they raised a family. Nancy was grateful to be able to stay home with their two children and dedicate her life to volunteer work. In Enfield she served on the Board of Directors of the Department of Social Services.

Following a move to Rockford, IL in 1977 Nancy joined the Board of the Rock River Valley Food Pantry and volunteered with Winnebago/Rockford Clean and Beautiful Recycling Project and Rockford Urban Ministries. In 1984 Nancy went back to work as a public health nurse, teaching birth control and parenting skills and connecting high-risk mothers with appropriate social service programs.

Nancy was an active member of Spring Creek United Church of Christ where she headed up recycling efforts, taught Sunday School and was on the Christian Education and Buildings & Grounds committees. She served as a liaison member in helping the Shalom Hispanic church to become a member of the United Church of Christ. Nancy always felt it was her Christian duty embrace people from every walk of life. She was instrumental in leading Spring Creek Church to adopt an Open and Affirming (ONA) resolution in 2007, thereby becoming the first church in Rockford to openly welcome members of the LBGTQ community.

Nancy loved people, especially children. She opened up her home to any neighborhood children who wanted to come and do arts and crafts, read books, watch birds, have a snack or earn a couple bucks doing chores. She cherished every moment spent with her two grandsons.

For 19 years, Nancy volunteered as a teacher’s aide for first and second graders at the Thompson School in Rockford, focusing on helping kids who were behind grade level to catch up.

She was always eager to learn more about people from different faiths and ethnic backgrounds. She supported many native American nations, the Southern Poverty Law Center and Ethiopian Jews. In retirement she traveled to Egypt, Israel, Italy and Spain.

Nancy was an avid gardener and backyard birder. She enjoyed playing ladies doubles tennis at the Clock Tower Racquet Club and taught her children to play.

She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Norman Edward Houtz, daughter Elizabeth Adams Houtz, son Wesley Adams Houtz, daughter-in-law Angela Kirkwood Houtz, grandsons Brandon Raymond Houtz and Trevor Dylan Houtz, sisters-in-law Lorraine Allen Adams and Carol Irene Houtz Morth, nephews Stephen (Penny) Adams, Jeffrey (Sharon) Adams, Philip (Angela) Houtz, Michael Houtz and David (Sarah) Hessel and nieces Linda Adams and Vivian Hessel (Wil Freve). Her brother- and sister-in-law Ken and Catherine Houtz preceded her in death.

A memorial service and celebration of life will be held on at 11:00 AM June 1st, 2024 at Spring Creek United Church of Christ, 4500 Spring Creek Rd, Rockford, IL 61114 with reception directly following.

In lieu of flowers, Nancy requested that memorial donations be made to:

Spring Creek United Church of Christ: https://tithe.ly/give_new/www…

Rockford Urban Ministries (Rockford's interfaith social justice advocacy nonprofit): https://www.paypal.com/donate…

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