Nancy Nordhoff Dunnam

1923 - 2017

Nancy Nordhoff Dunnam

April 16, 1923 ~ March 12, 2017

Nancy Nordhoff Dunnam passed away peacefully in her home on March 12, 2017. She was born in Seattle on April 16, 1923, to parents Arthur and Thelma Nordhoff. She was the granddaughter of Edward and Josephine Nordhoff, founders of the Bon Marche.

Raised in Madison Park, she attended the Helen Bush School, Garfield High School, and both Whitman College and the University of Washington. Before graduation, World War II called her to serve. Having her aviation license qualified Nancy to join the Women Airforce Service Pilots volunteer program in Sweetwater, Texas. Her job was to tow targets behind her plane for live gunnery practice by male fighter pilots. In 2010, she and her fellow WASP were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony in Washington DC.

While in Texas she met and soon married her commanding officer, James J. Dunnam. After the war, Jim and Nancy moved to Bellevue to raise their two children, while helping her father operate Bellevue Airfield for over 40 years.

As the children grew, Nancy became a member of the Junior League, the Child Hearing League, and volunteered at Overlake Hospital taking newborn baby pictures. She was an early and active supporter of Planned Parenthood, the Seattle Opera and the Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Nancy enjoyed world travel, entertaining, dancing, boating, skiing, sewing, bridge, reading "who done its", and caring for her many family dogs, but tennis was her greatest love. She was a life long member of the Seattle Tennis Club, participating in Tennis Week, Ladies Day and many other social events. She was fortunate enough to attend the US Open, and many tournaments at Indian Wells, California.

Nancy was preceded in death by her husband Jim, sister Marya, and her parents. She is survived by her brother Arthur E. Nordhoff, son James and his wife Mary, daughter Terre Dunnam Thomas and her husband Charlie, grandchildren Sarah Dunnam Watts, Patrick Dunnam, Thomas Dunnam, Nancy Thomas Solano, and great grandchildren Charlie, Alvin, Alice, River and Jade.

A family celebration will be held at a later date. Any remembrances may be made to Planned Parenthood, the Seattle Humane Society or the Museum of Flight, where her WASP uniform is on display.