Nancy Unger

1952 - 2022

Nancy Unger
June 20, 1952 - October 25, 2022
Anne "Nancy" Thomas Unger died at home in Sebastopol on October 25, 2022, surrounded by her loved ones. Nancy was extraordinarily graceful, beautiful, and bright. She believed our planet Earth to be a good and just place and labored passionately to make it thus. Nancy was a "seeker," eager to learn from new experiences. She expanded her naturally open mind through her study of Buddhism and mindfulness in daily life. In the '90s, her bumper sticker read: "Minds are like parachutes, they only function when open." She loved language, learning about and engaging with different cultures, being in nature, critters, babies, travel, fine textiles, Hawaii, spending time with her family and her children's friends, and her hot tub. She believed women should rule the world.
Nancy was born the fourth of Anne Louise Axon and Leonard Seidman Unger's five children. Her parents served as diplomats in the foreign service. Nancy was born in Naples, Italy, and spent much of her childhood in Vientiane, Laos, and Bangkok, Thailand, where her father served as U.S. Ambassador to Laos and Thailand. She attended high school in the Washington, D.C. area and studied art history at Tufts University. Nancy's first career was as a women's dress buyer and manager at I. Magnin and Macy's department stores, respectively. In 1980, she fell in love with Bob Oshetsky. The pair spent six months journeying through Nepal and India before moving to Sebastopol, CA in 1982. There, they raised their three children: Jasper, Lucas, and Molly Irene Oshun. In 1997, Nancy earned a Master of Arts in Gerontology from Sonoma State University and began a new career as an executive director of assisted living facilities in the North Bay. She advocated for dignity in end-of-life care with the Council on Aging and Compassion & Choices. In retirement, Nancy was active with the Women's Suffrage Centennial celebrations in Sebastopol, Sae Taw Win II Dhamma Center in Graton, and the Village Movement.
Nancy was a loving partner, a tremendous mother, an adoring grandmother, and a deeply loyal friend. She had a remarkable ability to connect deeply with those she cherished. She was generous with her loved ones, keenly observant, thoughtful, welcoming, and gave the best gifts. Nancy bravely resisted ovarian cancer for 2.5 years, cherishing the births of her three granddaughters along the way. She will be deeply missed. She is survived by her loving partner of 42 years, Bob, her children, Jasper, Lucas, and Molly, their spouses, her three granddaughters, Justina Jade, Ayesha, and Nora Thomas, her siblings, Debby, Sophie, and Andy, nephews, nieces, cousins, sangha, and a wide web of dear friends.
Family and friends will gather at the Gazebo at Ragle Ranch Park in Sebastopol at 1 pm on December 10th to celebrate Nancy's rich life. All who loved her are welcome to join.