Nancy Houtz Belanger

Obituary for Nancy C. Houtz Belanger
Nancy C. Houtz Belanger, age 77, of Austell, GA, passed away Wednesday, December 31, 2025. Nancy was born September 14, 1948, in Houma, LA. As a child in Houma, she was very active in many activities with her community, school, and family. She graduated from Terrebonne High School in 1967 and spent her college years at Northwestern University, Natchitoches, LA and Nicholls State University, Thibodaux, LA. She was a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority when she attended Northwestern State. For more than fifteen years, Nancy was involved with Girl Scouts, an experience that became an important part of her life, including attending the 1965 national Senior Girl Scout Roundup in Idaho. Nancy had a lifelong love of art. She was an avid artist who enjoyed creating and surrounding herself with creative expression. Art was a constant presence in her life and a meaningful part of who she was and shared it with many, especially children. Nancy developed a love for travel as a young woman working both at her parents travel agency in Houma, LA, and as a travel agent in Atlanta, Georgia.. It stayed with her for her entire life traveling extensively with her husband, John. Nancy genuinely enjoyed people. She never met a stranger, and it showed in the way she struck up conversations and made others feel comfortable. Whether with longtime friends or someone she had just met, she brought warmth and a natural ease to every interaction. She was also a collector and keeper of memories. Nancy saved photographs and keepsakes believing that memories were worth holding onto. Nancy loved the outdoors and felt at peace in nature. She especially enjoyed gardening, finding satisfaction in tending plants and watching them grow. It was a simple pleasure that fit naturally into her life and reflected her appreciation for steady routines. Above all, Nancy loved her family. Family was central to her life, and she cared deeply about staying connected and involved. She will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her. Nancy was preceded in death by her parents, Geraldine Kempe Houtz and Albert Clyde Houtz and a brother, Laurence F. Houtz. She is survived by her husband, John Howard Belanger; her brother, Graham G. Houtz (Beth); her sisters, Cindy H. Landry (David), Janet L. Houtz, Celia H. Kenney, Monica H. Folse (William), Laura H. Hough, and Marcia M. Houtz (Sonya Soileau); and many nieces and nephews. A celebration of Nancy's life was held Sunday, January 4, 2026, at Carmichael Funeral Home in Smyrna. A special thank you to Hearts of Hospice and those who cared for her: Cory, Tiffany, Suzanne, Naya, Attria, Tracy and Sam.