Nancy Kay Bechthold Dutton

Nancy Kay Bechthold Dutton

63, of Vacaville died at home early on Wednesday, November 27, having bravely faced and dealt with Stage III metastatic melanoma for nine years, which had earlier this year also metastasized to her brain. The memory of her beauty, grace, humor and love of life cannot be dimmed by any disease. 

She and her twin sister Sally were born in Berkeley, California on May 19, 1950 to the late Valentine & Iona (Andrews) Bechthold of Nevada City, CA. Her childhood family lived in Richmond, California where Nancy met Vernon Dutton in 1965 and a great love story began. She graduated from JFK High School in 1968 and attended Chico State University before marrying Vern in 1969. She and Vern raised two amazingly wonderful children, Scott and Jodi, who later gave them four beautiful granddaughters, Carlie, Kaitlyn, Breana and Sierra.  She joyfully served the goals of the non-profit organization Freedom From Hunger in Davis for 13 years before retiring when her melanoma was discovered in 2004.   

Nancy was a devoted and dedicated wife, mother and "Mamock" to her four granddaughters, all of whom she loved with a fierce intensity.  Her passion was her service with the Valley Church Youth Programs, which included Awana, Mania and Airborne followed by serving as a leader in the Valley Church Women's Ministry and Bible Study.  Nancy was always the first person to walk up to any new person and within minutes have that person laughing and feeling as though they were a longtime friend with whom they had talked, shared and laughed with for years. She was a woman of strong faith, believing in the power and strength of Jesus Christ's love and the beauty and peace that would await her after her passing. 

Nancy is survived by Vern, her husband of 45 years, son Scott Dutton and granddaughters Kaitlyn and Breana of Vacaville; daughter Jodi Youngblood (husband Brian) and granddaughters Carlie and Sierra of Chico; older brother Gary Bechthold (wife Gundi) of Roseville and twin sister Sally Bergman (husband, Doug) of San Francisco, as well as nieces, nephews and a multitude of women who considered Nancy to be their sister. The family wishes to thank Kaiser Vallejo Hospice Care for their exceptional service and also the many neighbors and friends for their outpouring of love and who made Nancy's final days so much easier by providing them with meals and brightening the house with a steady stream of flowers and cards.

A Celebration of Nancy's Life will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, December 7, 2014 at Valley Church, 5063 Maple Road, Vacaville, CA 95687, followed by a light lunch.

In lieu of flowers, Nancy preferred donations to the Valley Church Women's Ministry.