Nancy Stowall 12/08/2023

Nancy Ellen Smith Stowall

It is with great sadness that we report the death of Nancy Ellen Smith Stowall on December 8, 2023. She died peacefully in her home in Hudson, Wisconsin with her family present.

Nancy was born on February 25, 1931, in Birmingham Alabama. She moved to Colorado in her early 20s and lived in Boulder for more than 50 years. She raised her three children and supported them in all of their activities. Nancy was an active volunteer in the social services community and with the Girl Scouts. In 2006, she moved to River Falls, Wisconsin, home of her youngest daughter, Lisa Thompson, and her family, who lovingly supported and enjoyed her. She spent her final years in Hudson, Wisconsin.

In her mid-forties, Nancy returned to college at Colorado State University, obtaining a BA in Social Work in 1977. She then received her Master’s in Social Work at the University of Denver in 1980. Nancy had a long and successful career at Adams County, culminating in her position as a supervisor of an adolescent placement team, which included Therapeutic Foster Homes. She retired in 1999.

After her move to River Falls, Nancy was an active member of the community, volunteering at the Free Clinic and with CAB (Community Arts Base). She enjoyed going on surprise excursions and seeing plays with her friends.

Nancy will be remembered for her love of learning, including history, biography, science, and archeology, and for her great curiosity about the world and beyond. She was so passionate about learning that her travels took her all over the world, often with her travel buddy and dear friend, Barbara Gigone. Some of her travels included trips to Thailand, Turkey, India, Singapore, the former Czech Republic, Mexico, Vancouver, Puerto Rico, Toronto, Italy, France, and Ireland. She visited England multiple times to be with her beloved brother, Tarpley, and his family. Trips to visit her son, John Stowall, and his family in Colorado and her daughter, Stacey McCusker, and her husband, in Chicago and Oregon, were also highlights.

A voracious reader, Nancy loved to share her discoveries with her family and friends. She also loved to share a variety of recipes, especially different ethnic foods. Her favorite meal was a tall glass of milk with cornbread in it, eaten with a spoon. Nancy also especially loved chocolate and was heard to say, “not enough desserts!”

Nancy passed on her love of knowledge and travel to her three children – Stacey McCusker (Patrick), John Stowall (Toni), and Lisa Thompson (Mike). She is also survived by her four grandchildren, Garrett Stowall (Lauren), Emily Stowall (Daniel), Reid Thompson Canas (Fernanda), and Abigail Thompson (Aaron), her great granddaughter Willow Stowall, her niece Rebecca Smith (Michael), her nephew Benjamin Smith (Emma), her niece Charlotte Smith, and her great-niece Connie Wigglesworth.

Memorials in River Falls, Wisconsin and in Boulder, Colorado will be held sometime in 2024. In lieu of flowers, please donate to your local community arts program or free clinic in her name. Cremation services provided by Bakken-Young Funeral & Cremation Services.