Nancy Lawrence

1943 - 2022

Nancy Lawrence
December 29, 1943 - August 9, 2022
Fair Oaks, California -
Nancy Lawrence, blessed with a happy family and friends, died at home on August 9, 2022, at age 78.
Nancy liked to say that she and her sister, Linda, won the lottery when they were born. Their educated parents, Carl and Marjorie McGlashan Lawrence, loved and supported them. They grew up in California's post­ war prosperity with its strong public education system, and had travel and learning opportunities all around them.
Nancy attended Bret Harte, Cal Junior High, and McClatchy High School in Sacramento where she found real joy in learning. She then earned her BA and MA in English literature at Stanford. While attending Stanford's semester in Italy she got an eye-opening glimpse of the world and other cultures.This grew into a love of travel including years of summer travels to the Middle East and to Asia where she fell in love with archaeology and cultural history. Repeat visits to Europe were a treat for her always.
After Stanford, Nancy decided teaching and academics would be most satisfying and taught 17 years at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera in southern California. Teaching and exploring ideas in literature and the arts formed an interesting life for her.
In 1984, Nancy married Gordon Klein, a math teacher and data processing specialist at Pico Rivera. Three years later they moved to Sacramento to manage Lawrence Properties, together with her sister, Linda, and their very valuable property managers, Pat Quarton-Rodini and then Stephanie Paschal-Jividen. Their first project was to computerize the business records and investments, and then they grew the size of its holdings.
In Sacramento, Nancy became involved with local organizations (like her mother before her), particularly Sacramento AAUW and the Crocker Art Museum, where Nancy was a Docent for many years. She served on boards and led groups serving cultural and educational purposes: the Crocker Art Museum, the former Sacramento Public Library Foundation, AAUW, the Kingsley Art Club, the Girl Scouts, the Sacramento Literacy Foundation, and the Mondavi Center. Education provided such satisfaction to Nancy that she worked tirelessly to "give back" by expanding educational opportunity for many more. And Nancy always said that in turn these organizations provided her with education, stimulation, and wonderful friends and relationships that endure forever. At the same time she and Gordon enjoyed the Opera, travel (including regular visits to Gordon's family in North Dakota), and expanding the Klein family group in Sacramento.
Covid struck soon after the time Gordon died. Nancy said that it was with help from her many friends and family that she was able to meet the huge challenge of these years: her sister Linda Lawrence, the Deck Diners, the Fair Oaks Wine and Dine, her many Crocker friends, her AAUW friends, Club 61, and Stephanie Paschal-Jividen, together with Margaret Schrupp, Heidi and A.J. Amstrup (Lara, Luke), Karin Lewis (Jasmine, Dalton), Elisabeth Klein, Vince and Jamie Klein (Kristina, Karol), Ottie Maxey, and Pam Saltenberger, who kept the horrors at bay.
Nancy would say she had a terrific life, was lucky, and hopes that she helped others to lead happy lives too. A memorial celebration will be held October 16, 2022, from 4-7 p.m. at Northridge Country Club. Memorials can be made to the Crocker Art Museum, the Kingsley Art Club Education Foundation, the Sacramento Children's Literacy Foundation or to St. Johns Shelter in order to reach out to the young who need help to flourish and thrive where they are planted.