Nancy Stambaugh

Nancy Stambaugh - A Beautiful Life

Nancy Nicholson Stambaugh was born September 3, 1938, in Des Moines, IA, the first child of Blair and Mary Jane Nicholson, both native Iowans. Although she moved away from Des Moines at a young age, her grandmother lived there, and Nancy had clear memories of the house on Beavercrest Drive, where the family would come to visit, and where she and sister Mary played with a trunk of dress-up clothes and explored the laundry chute. She also remembered visiting her grandfather in his office in the state capitol building where he worked in the auditors office.

When Nancy was two Blair’s job moved the family to Shreveport, LA. Mary and Todd were born there. The young family got to know their neighbors, including the famous (at least in our family) TB Tookes, who gave them the recipe for the best-ever BBQ sauce!

Blair was transferred to Dallas, TX, and Nancy attended high school there. Her friends called themselves the “Dirty Dozen”, and Nancy was known as “Nicki”. She had become a talented seamstress and made many fluffy organza dresses for her high school dances. She was hoping to attend Texas Tech after graduation, but the word came that the family was moving again, this time to California.

They settled in Whittier, and Nancy enrolled at Whittier College as a Psychology major. She also attended a Young Adults class at the First United Methodist Church, and one night a tall young man named Bob was there. They began dating and were married on August 24, 1958. Nancy continued at Whittier College and graduated in 1960. While there she was part of the Athenians, a society on campus. She earned her teaching credential and began teaching kindergarten. Although she only taught for a couple of years her family swore that she retained kindergarten teacher energy for the rest of her life!

Nancy and Bob welcomed baby Robin in 1962. By this time they had a house on Western Ave in Whittier. They lived close to Palm Park and Plymouth Congregational Church, where Robin went to preschool. Years later Plymouth would become a center of the family’s life. David was born in 1964 and Michael in 1969. (Nancy always called them David and Michael until they got old enough for everyone else to begin calling them Dave and Mike!). When Mike was a baby the family moved to Wyant Lane, and acquired a beagle named Missy, cementing Mike’s lifelong love of dogs. Robin started kindergarten that year, followed a few years later by the boys.

Nancy had joined the P.E.O. Sisterhood in 1961 and was also active with the East Whittier Junior Women’s Club. Besides being the source of many wonderful friendships she found some of our family’s favorite recipes through these groups, for which we are eternally grateful!

In 1972 the family moved to the house on Enramada, which was Nancy’s favorite. They also began attending Plymouth Church. Through the pastors and the congregation all of us made many deep and meaningful friendships. Around this time Nancy also began attending Bible Study Fellowship, first as a student, and later as a leader and children’s director. Nancy was the consummate hostess. Through all of her group affiliations and in support of her family she provided a location for any number of events, from dinners to meetings to weddings to baptisms! If space was needed for a group her name would come up and she usually said yes, providing a beautiful setting, plenty of chairs, and when possible bouquets of roses from her garden.

Her children grew up, graduating from La Serna High School and their respective colleges. Once Bob retired they really began to travel. They went to the UK, Israel, Patagonia, Switzerland, a Baltic cruise, Nepal, Africa, and many more places. They bought a motor home and traveled all over the west, including driving all the way to Alaska! Finally there were grandchildren! Dave and Judy’s son Grant was born in March of 2001, and their son Blake in September 2002. Tracy and Robin had Justina in December 2002. Nancy was in heaven as a grandma, having waited extra long for her late-bloomer children to get with the program. She threw herself into being there for them in whatever way she could: babysitting, doing projects together, attending sporting events, awards and plays. Mike and Angelica’s sons Nicholas and James were born in 2013 and 2015 and she continued with a new name as Nanna to them.

Nancy made sure we sustained a number of special traditions: Christmas Eve together at their house, Thanksgiving at the cabin in Skyforest, 4th of July fireworks in their backyard on Lindante, special birthday celebrations including her own in September with a Duffy cruise in Newport Harbor. Family meant so much to her and to us. Nancy and Bob moved to Morningside in 2019. They were there not quite two years when Bob died suddenly in 2021. The next few years were challenging for Nancy, but she ultimately landed at Silverado in San Juan Capistrano, where the kind caregivers looked after her as her needs increased. Throughout those years she took pleasure in visits from her family and friends, and received care as graciously as she had always given it. She left us peacefully on Feb. 28, 2026.

Nancy is survived by her sister Mary Shelley, her brother Todd Nicholson (Ann), her children Robin Brandt (Tracy), Dave Stambaugh (Judy) and Mike Stambaugh (Angelica) and grandchildren Grant Stambaugh, Blake Stambaugh, Justina Brandt, Nicholas Stambaugh and James Stambaugh.