Nan Peck

Nan Peck, age 64 of Springfield, Virginia, died at her home in the Greenspring Senior Living Community on October 26, 2022. Her husband of 23 years, Paul Haas, was by her side.

For each of us who knew Nan as a dear friend or family member, there are many more lives she touched as a dedicated teacher, volleyball coach, softball teammate, or a voice on the other line for strangers in crisis.

Nan Jean Peck was born on February 13, 1958, on her parent's couch in Montgomery, Illinois.

She graduated from Rosary High School ('76) in Aurora, IL, where she was the senior class president. She then earned a Master of Science in Communication from Illinois State University.

In the early 80s, she moved to Washington, D.C., where she began her career as a legislative staffer for Senator Dave Durenberger. She was a speechwriter for Pentagon leadership.

For 35 years, Nan was a professor of communication studies at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA).

She founded NOVA's Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in 2005, which she led for 6 years.

She was also the Director of the VCCS Northern Regional Center for Teaching Excellence.

For many years Nan was a volunteer listener and training director for the Northern Virginia Hotline, a crisis intervention and suicide prevention hotline.

Nan served as an adjunct at George Mason University and shared her expertise as a communications consultant to Federal government entities, such as the FBI and CIA (allegedly), social service agencies, and schools.

Nan and Paul were married in 1999.

Nan was in a car accident in 2018. While she was hospitalized, doctors discovered late-stage cancer.

This led to her early retirement, but it did not stop her from teaching.

While being treated for breast and ovarian cancer, she taught older adults in the Lifetime Learning Institute about improving relationships through communication.

Nan is survived by her husband and her parents, Stanley and Barbara (nee Mosley) Peck of Montgomery, IL; sisters Lynn Walder of Earlville, IL, Mary (Marcel) Beretta of Montgomery, IL, Joann (Vincent) Spaeth of Elmhurst, IL; brothers, Rev. David A. Peck of St. Charles, IL, Kenneth Peck of Aurora, IL, Tom (Patty Bajt) Peck of Yorkville, IL, Andrew (Julie) Peck of Plano, IL, Dan (Jennifer) Peck of Montgomery, IL, Ed (Megan) Peck of Springfield, IL, Jerry Peck of Springfield, IL, John (Kim) Peck of Elmhurst, IL; her godchildren, John Peck, Annie Paprocki of Harrison, NY, Grant Spaeth of Elmhurst, IL; and by many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her sister Karen (Peck) Paprocki and brother-in-law Larry Paprocki.

Family and friends will gather to remember Nan's life on two occasions:

-February 4, 2023 - Greenspring Conference Center, Springfield, Virginia. Visit the Springfield memorial website for details: https://tellet.wixsite.com/nan-peck-celebration

-February 11, 2023 - St. Peter's Catholic Church, 925 Sard Ave, Aurora, Illinois. The memorial mass starts at 10:30 am. Refreshments to follow.

Share your memory of Nan: https://tellet.wixsite.com/nan-peck-celebration/memories

Donations may be made to the Cancer Research Institute.