Nancy Claire Haskell Black

Nancy Claire Haskell BLACK The daughter of Oliver and Clarice Haskell, Nancy was born in Seattle on Nov. 4, 1931, and grew up on Capitol Hill. The Haskell family spent the war years in Washington D.C., where her father served in the Army at the Pentagon. Active in Camp Fire Girls, Nancy got the opportunity to meet President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the dedication of a hospital plane that the D.C. Area Council had campaigned to purchase for the U.S. troops. Returning to Seattle in 1946, Nancy attended Saint Nicholas School, graduating in 1949. She attended Wellesley College, in Boston for two years and the University of Washington for another two. In 1952, Nancy married David Statler Black. Their children are David, Andrew and Kathleen, born during the five years they resided first in Seattle and later in Washington's State Capital, Olympia. 1961 saw a move to another capital. The family lived near the Nation's Capital, WashingtonD.C. Nancy had many opportunities including being presented with a ten year award for her work as a Volunteer Docent. She served as Chairman of Docents at the National Gallery of Art in a program that provided tours for school children in the entire D.C. metropolitan area and became a tour guide at Hillwood Museum, the estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post, which housed extensive private collections. Nancy then co-founded National Fine Arts Associates, which developed and directed custom tours of galleries, private collections and historic properties in the D.C. area. She also served on Joan Mondale's committee to arrange speaker programs and invite prominent Democrats to participate. In 1966, the family relocated to Kansas, where Nancy became involved in historic preservation. She participated in the local arts scene and worked as a tour director planning convention programs and giving "Trolley Tours". The greatest accomplishment of her Topeka years was her involvement in helping establish the annual Topeka Railroad Days Festival, which is now professionally run and funds the renovation and use of the historic Great Overland Station in North Topeka. The Blacks returned to Seattle's Capitol Hill, where it all began and pursued their passion for family, food and cooking, photography, art, flowers and travel. Nancy's greatest joy has been the opportunity to see her family grow and mature into a loving bunch. Nancy is survived by her husband of 58 years, her 3 children, and her 4 loving grandchildren Nicholas Black and Patrick, Connor, and Carly Campbell. Family and friends agree with Nancy that "It's been a wonderful life." A service will be held in the Thomsen Chapel at Saint Mark's Cathedral, 1245 10th Avenue East, Seattle, WA at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday March 3rd. The family asks that in lieu of flowers contributions be made to the Saint Mark's Flower Guild and/or the Alzheimer's Foundation of America.