Nancy Winters Jordan

Jordan, Nancy Winters, 87, of Denver, died gracefully on June 5, 2019. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, Zack Jordan, and beloved son, Buzz Jordan. She is survived by her cherished daughters, Amy Jordan Russ (Chris) and Christy Jordan (Chris Little) .

She was a loving grandmother to Zack Jordan, Brooks Jordan, Molly Jordan Little and Kate Jordan Little, adoring sister of Sally Winters Rippey and wonderful aunt of Glenn, Gregg and Drew Rippey and Peter and Bobby Tucker.

Her funeral is at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11, 2019, at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, 1980 Dahlia, Denver.

Nancy was born in Birmingham, Alabama to Bob and Lucy Winters in the height of the Great Depression. She was bright, curious and creative. Her best day of her childhood was when her baby sister Sally was born. The Winters family moved to Oklahoma City, OK, and then to Kansas City, KS, where Nancy found lifetime friends and enjoyed a carefree childhood and teenage life. They moved to Denver in 1949 and Nancy was graduated from East High School.

Nancy (or Nanoo as she was known) loved attending three colleges: Monticello College, Colorado College, and was graduated from the University of Colorado in 1953, with a B.A. in Sociology. She was member of Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority, and became a lifetime fan of sports. It was there that she met the dashing Zack Jordan, a CU athletic legend, and had a loving romance for four years before they married in 1957. Zack proposed to Nancy by declaring, “I would like to have children with you.” And they had three: Amy in 1958, Buzz in 1960 and Christy in 1966. Her children were the center of her life and she spent her days loving, nurturing, encouraging, and mentoring her precious clan. She was a Room Mother, a Pet Mom to several dogs and cats, a Volunteer for the Junior League of Denver, an Event Planner, a Cake Baker, a Peacemaker, a Cheerleader, a Costume Maker, a Driver, a Tutor, a Meal Maker and a Tear Dryer.

Her motherly duties were never tested as much as when her beloved husband Zack, died suddenly at age 49. Her strength, resilience, compassion and positive outlook helped pull her children though those dark days. She maintained those qualities and lived independently in the Victorian house in historic Montclair that she and Zack had restored for another 41 years.

She delighted in the spouses her children chose to marry, and was thrilled to welcome them to the family, she loved Chris, Chris, and Kim as her own children. A special blessing in her life was the arrival of her four darling grandchildren. She had a kind, gentle, and fun relationship with Zack, Brooks, Molly, and Kate, and gave them encouragement, warmth and her generous spirit. She loved going to their sporting events, school performances and graduations, and celebrating birthdays, holidays and achievements.

Through the years she had a “brilliant career” and became a tutor, proofreader, editor and Census taker. She enjoyed gardening and talking about all things floral, reading, her bridge clubs, going to movies, concerts and plays, the news and current events, and crafty projects. She loved holidays and elaborately decorated her home for each occasion. She consistently had her dining room formally set, and used her sterling silver flatware every day. She cherished her friends, near and far and always made time for a tete-a-tete chat.

She was heartbroken nine years ago when her adored son, Buzz, died at age 49. But she proved her resilience once again and got dressed every day, and dealt with her grief in an admirable fashion. She’s kept his memory alive by relaying amazing stories and funny “Buzzisms” to his sons Zack and Brooks, and talked about him every day.

Even as her health declined, Nancy enjoyed the company of her sweet friends and relatives, and delighted in phone conversations, emails and visits in her home by the many people who adored her, both old and young.

Her greatest wish was that “her people” be happy and told us that often and emphasized it most recently. She was happy in her long life and it gives us all peace that she is no longer struggling.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to two of her favorite scholarships: #ForeverBuffs and Manual High School. The University of Colorado Alumni Association Scholarship https://giving.cu.edu/fund/cu-boulder-alumni-association-scholarship-fund CU Advancement Office| CU Foundation 1800 Grant Street Denver, CO 80203 303-541-1290 or Friends of Manual 1700 E. 28th Avenue Denver, CO 80205 720-295-3418 https://www.friendsofmanual.org/

Memorial Service: June 11, 2019 3:00 pm

Montview Presbyterian Church
1980 Dahlia Street
Denver, CO 80220