Nancy Vorres

Nancy B Vorres, born April 20, 1930, passed away on July 11, 2023.

Mom was the youngest of three children and spent her early years with her family living in the home of her mother’s parents in South Bend, IN. She was preceded in death by brother Robert (Bartlett) and sister, Barbara (Tallman). At the age of 13, her family moved to Whitehall, MI where her father started a mink ranch. She had many pets during her childhood and was allowed to keep any pet that ate mink food. This included numerous cats (Uncle Peaser) and dogs as well as a skunk. She was valedictorian of her high school class in 1948 and a graduate of Michigan State University (Class of ’53) where she met her husband, Karl, and married in 1952. Together they pursued his Ph.D. in chemistry and moved to Los Angeles and Iowa City. Along the way, they raised four children Robert (Bob), Janet, Carol, and Steve, and many cats. Dad accepted a teaching position in 1960 at the University of Miami FL and later at Purdue, West Lafayette, IN. They moved to Alliance, OH in 1965.

In Alliance, mom worked as a special needs teacher, and later as a Girl Scout and Cub Scout leader.

When her favorite Aunt passed away leaving her an inheritance, she took the family of six on a European vacation in 1970. Dad accepted a position in Chicago in 1975 and they moved to Western Springs, IL. Mom had many hobbies including genealogy (She researched her family back 32 generations) knitting, raising African violets and orchids, and watercolor painting. She was involved in the Methodist Church and Girl Scouting. As empty nesters, Mom and Dad traveled to ACS (American Chemical Society) meetings around the world including Hawaii, Australia, Israel, and Egypt. Mom moved to Tucson in 1993 to care for her mother-in-law (Hildegard) and be close to her oldest son, Bob. Mom recently became an avid college sports fan to cheer on her alma mater Michigan State Spartans.

Nancy was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Karl (2015). She is survived by her four children and five grandchildren, Alec and Jason Scheele, Max/Nyx, Brianna and Kira Vorres, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Donations in Nancy’s name may be made to Youth at Risk in Tucson, AZ.