Nancy Houston

NANCY CAROLYN HOUSTON

January 8, 1945 – January 23, 2026

Obituary lovingly written by her sister, Kathleen Bedard

     Nancy Carolyn Houston was born and raised in Iowa and was a longtime resident of Lenoir City, Tennessee. As she requested, she spent her last night on Earth in her country home with her cats around her. She died on January 23, 2026, of cancer, seven hours after being transported to The Waters in Sweetwater. She left her home only because all hospice organizations were directed to move their home hospice patients to care centers in light of the approaching winter storm Fern. Nancy was 81 years and 15 days.

     Nancy was born on January 8, 1945, in Denison, Iowa, the third of four children. She grew up on the family farm west of Dow City. She loved the farm, every animal, and being outdoors. She was brilliant and was always asking questions and always studying and learning. She graduated from Dow City-Arion Community High School in 1963 as Valedictorian of her class. She took the hardest courses offered in high school—every science course, every math course—and earned A+ in all of them. Nancy was a star athlete, playing basketball and running track. After graduating, she was invited to join the Dayton, OH, AAUW track team where she participated in their summer schedule. She was a musician in high school, playing every drum and percussion instrument, and later playing the saxophone, in the high school band. She was a member of the girls’ glee club and mixed chorus.

     She went on to the University of Iowa and again excelled academically, earning a Bachelor of Science degree and graduating with “Highest Distinction,” the University’s equivalent at the time to Summa Cum Laude.

    Nancy was a member of Mensa. I have said for years that she should have discovered the cure for cancer. How I wish that she had. Instead of research labs, she found her way into high school classrooms. I can only imagine the high standards she set for her students. I’m very proud of her. She lived and taught in Long Branch and Tom’s River, NJ, before moving to Lenoir City where she made her home and taught for the last 36 years.

     A colleague during Nancy’s teaching years wrote:

   “Nancy was a retired science teacher at in the Knox County School System, where she taught math, science, chemistry, and ecology until her retirement in 2006. A passionate environmentalist, she championed the school’s recycling program and brought learning to life through hands-on projects, including student gardening initiatives and work in the campus greenhouse. She often spoke of the joy her students experienced watching seeds germinate and grow—moments that reflected her deep love for both education and the natural world.

     After retiring, Nancy continued serving her community by tutoring homebound students and co-teaching at Yoakley Alternative School until Spring 2025. Her commitment to education and service never waned.

     A proud member of Mensa, Nancy was also a founding and frequently victorious member of “The Shelties,” a pub trivia team that gathered every Tuesday evening in Lenoir City. Beyond her intellectual pursuits, she was a devoted advocate for the environment and for animals. She recycled everything conceivably recyclable, spoke out against practices harmful to the earth—especially those affecting animals—and cherished her cats, her dog, and the peaceful solitude of her small country farm.”

     Nancy enjoyed being outdoors and loved the sun. She loved her many trips in earlier years to Nassau in The Bahamas, sitting on the beach and working on her tan. In more recent years, she loved sitting in her front yard in the sun with her many cats around her and working in her large garden. Paullette, a friend and one of her caregivers, told me that she and Nancy talked about how good the sun felt and how healthy it was. On clear days in Nancy’s last weeks, the sun would shine on her in her bed, and she would say how it made her feel so good. Nancy told Paullette that her kitten, Baby, wouldn’t leave her side because she knew she was passing soon. Nancy knew that cats are psychic in that way.

     Nancy loved every animal that walked, crawled, flew, or swam our planet. Nothing was to be harmed in any way. Growing up on an Iowa farm will teach you that. I know she wanted us to do everything possible to save our Earth, and I fear she may have been quite disillusioned with our efforts. She loved being outdoors, and she believed the sun was our source of health and energy. I know that she always had a large garden where she raised healthy food. She learned early on what the soil can provide us.

     Nancy’s dear friend of more than 30 years, Kathy Waddell, shared this tribute:

     “Nancy had asked me not to tell anyone about her illness, so I only let a very few people know. She had been fighting Stage IV colon cancer since her diagnosis in April 2025. Nancy was a dear friend—very kind and tender-hearted—and I will love and miss her for the rest of my life. I am grateful I was with her when she passed. She was truly unique and very special.”

     Kathy Waddell told me that Nancy was one of a kind and lived her life on her own terms. Kathy also said that she used to tell her own mother that she wanted an older sister. I think that Nancy knew this and performed that role for her best friend.

     Nancy loved all sports, including the ones we didn’t play. During her last months, she watched her University of Iowa football team, as well as the Tennessee Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs. I may have talked her into watching the 2025 World Series because I was cheering for the Los Angeles Dodgers. She watched the entire Series, including the 18-inning Game 3—that lasted far into the night Eastern Daylight Time—and the 11-inning Game 7 where the Dodgers won it all. She marveled at starting pitcher/designated hitter Shohei Ohtani and starting pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. She recognized and appreciated excellence everywhere.

     Nancy’s life reflected a quiet but determined commitment to leaving the world a better place than she found it. She accepted her cancer diagnosis bravely and gracefully, never complaining during her illness. Not once. I promised her that she would go home to Iowa to be with our Mother and other family members in the Dow City Cemetery, close to our family farm.

     Nancy is survived by her sister, Kathleen Bedard of Phoenix, AZ; brothers, Stephen (Judy) of Moorhead and Iowa City, IA, and Michael of Harlan, IA; her nephews, David Houston of Arion, IA, and Greg (Kris) Houston of Omaha, NE; her niece, Carmen Krueger of Iowa City, IA; and many grandnieces and grandnephews. She was preceded in death by her Mother, Jeanne E. Houston, of Omaha, NE; her father, Harold J. Houston, of Omaha, NE; her Aunt Eleanor Buss of Council Bluffs, IA; her grandmother Kate Buss of Dow City, IA; and nephew Eric Houston of Moorhead, IA. Nancy is also survived by her kitten Baby and the many cats that gathered at her home every day for love and food and is remembered by all the animals that she cared for throughout her life. She leaves behind her friends Kathy and Jim Waddell of Lenoir City, TN; her primary caregiver Kayla Robison of Sweetwater, TN; her friend and caregiver Paullette Thomas of Sevierville, TN; and many other friends in Lenoir City who worked with her and cared about her.

     Burial will be on February 6, 2026, in the Dow City, IA, Cemetery beside Nancy’s Mother and many other family members.

     Nancy recognized and supported the work of PPAW Spay/Neuter in Lenoir City. In lieu of flowers, those who wish may honor her memory by donating to an animal rescue organization of their choice.