Nancy Butler Obituary

January 6, 2023

Nancy Ann ("Nan") Butler was born January 11, 1942 in Snohomish, Washington, the second child of Dallas and Inez Butler. She passed away January 6, 2023 at her home in Everett, Washington.

Nan grew up and was schooled in Snohomish, graduating as Salutatorian in 1959 from Snohomish High School. She attended Everett Community College before transferring to the University of Washington where she graduated in 1963 with a degree in history. After graduation, she continued her studies at the University of Washington.

She received her Masters in 1966 and, in 1972, and became the first woman to receive a PhD in Russian History from the UW.

After receiving her PhD, she taught public school, then began teaching at English Language Services at Seattle University. Nan served for many years as Assistant Director at ELS, though everybody there knew she actually ran the place.

Nan left to start the School for Teaching English as a Second Language (S-TESL) out of her dining room in Phinney Ridge with desks repurposed from a basement storage room at Seattle University. She built S-TESL into a very successful teaching program that lasted for many years after her retirement in 2007, preparing thousands of students to teach English in locations around the globe.

In retirement, Nan still donated her time to the school while searching for her next adventure. She began to play the violin in 2013 to encourage her granddaughter who had just started to play, unknowingly paving a path to hundreds of relationships later in life. She took every chance to visit with her grandchildren, from the 1/2 mile walk to Jessica, to the 12 hour-2 day drive to Oakland to visit Nate and Jonah. And finally, after surviving a pandemic and missing out on the first 2 years of granddaughter Dallas's life, Nan finally got to watch her on Mondays for a year.

Nan was reacquainted with her childhood and high school friend Alan Troupe in 2014. They moved in together in 2015 and married in 2018. With Al, her passion for music was reignited, and she joined many online community groups for violin and fiddle. She formed lasting and strong relationships with musicians around the world, communicating daily on social networks and live concerts on Zoom, while recording them and posting them on YouTube. She would love for everyone to enjoy her passion and art at https://youtube.com/@nancybutler746

Nan is survived by her husband Alan Troupe, older brother Dick Butler and wife Cathy, younger brother David Butler, daughter Kim Darcy, sons Stephen Hasegawa and Peter Butler. She is also survived by 4 grandchildren (Nathan, Jessica, Jonah, and Dallas) and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents Dallas (2013) and Inez Butler (1997) and their close group of siblings and their spouses.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by The Herald (Everett) from Jan. 24 to Jan. 25, 2023.

Memories and Condolences
for Nancy Butler

4 Entries

Christine Aleta Jacobson

April 20, 2023

Nancy was my director at ELS at Seattle University in the 80's. She was a wonderful director, a kind person and had a great sense of humor. I have never forgotten her and am so sad to hear of her passing but I know she is so happy in Heaven and we will see her again. My condolences to her friends and family.

Christine Aleta Jacobson

April 20, 2023

I taught with Nancy at Seattle University. I moved back to the east coast in 1990 but returned to the Seattle area in 2016. I did some research on Nancy while there, hoping to find her, and got some hints that she lived in Everett, where I also lived. I couldn't believe that she was that close to me! I meant to visit her but, sadly, never followed through. I am so sad I didn't! She was a great director but I was a socially backward young woman whose severe shyness and social anxiety prevented me from attending many staff meetings but Nancy was so understanding. She had a big heart and seemed to sense my struggles. I just moved down to Texas 6 months ago and something strong prompted me today (4/20/23) to Google her name again. I really didn't know why. I think she was mentally letting me know she had passed and knows all the things I wanted to say to her. Thank you, Nancy, for putting up with a truly weird, socially awkward young lady. I know you are chuckling up there! I also know you are happy and at peace and perhaps we will meet again one day.

Jessica

January 30, 2023

I don't Nan, but she sounds like an amazing person. Sorry for your loss.

Jo Ann McNall

January 25, 2023

What a sad loss for all of us. Nan was part of my childhood and I was probably an adult before I realized that she was not actually a blood-related cousin. I was a Maynard and Nan was a Staswick. We lost track of one another over the years but reconnected on Facebook a few years ago where her posts were a delight as she began mastering the violin and eventually began having "Grandchildren Days." Nan was a beautiful and bright woman and she was also a beautiful and caring woman. She loved her siblings, her children, and her grandchildren. Her adventures were many, her successes in life were admirable. She reminded me as I celebrated my 80th birthday in November that we were born the same year and the Maynard, Staswick, and McNall mothers must have had a lot to share that year. Nan was a gift of love. My heartfelt condolences for this difficult loss.

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