The Rev. Nancy Jane Rice Graumlich

1924 - 2018

Nancy Rice Graumlich

1924-2018

The Rev. Nancy Jane Rice Graumlich, age 93, died peacefully on April 16, 2018, in Bothell, WA. Nancy was a loving daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother as well as an adventurous traveler and a spiritual leader who dedicated her life to peace and justice.

She was born to Claude and Mabel (Miller) Rice on August 15, 1924, in Toledo, OH. She was a graduate of DeVilbiss High School and Bowling Green State University where she was a member of Delta Gamma Sorority. On June 14, 1947, she married her high school sweetheart, Albert John Graumlich. Nancy was a beloved English teacher at Burnham High School in Sylvania. She retired from teaching to raise her three children, instilling in all of them a love of language, arts, and learning.

She was for many years a member of Olivet Lutheran Church in Sylvania. In 1992 she was ordained as a Deacon in the Episcopal Church. As Deacon, Nancy served at a number of parishes in Toledo, including All Saints, Trinity, St. Marks, and St Michaels in the Hills. She was a tireless advocate for peace and justice, serving on the National and Diocese of Ohio peace and justice committees and attending rallies and protests with her husband, Al, and Molly, her miniature Yorkshire terrier. She was a founding member of the Toledo Interfaith Justice and Peace Center, and contributed poems to its newsletter, Linkages, under the pseudonym "ye olde fossil."

She moved to Bothell Washington in 2014 to be closer to her daughter's family. She embraced life in the Pacific Northwest and made her home at Blueberry Gardens Adult Family Home where she received expert care and lively companionship amidst lush gardens and a resident goat family. She found a spiritual home and loving community at First Lutheran Church in Bothell.

Nancy was preceded in death by her husband, Al, and is survived by sons, Raymond (Eileen Rhine) Santa Fe, NM, John Henry (Anne Shilton, deceased) Santa Paula, CA; daughter, Lisa (Linda Simonsen) Seattle, WA; grandchildren, Eliza Graumlich, Micayla Graumlich Simonsen and Maya Simonsen Graumlich.

A memorial service will be held at First Lutheran Church Bothell on Friday, April 20th. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you make a donation in Nancy's memory to the Toledo Museum of Art, First Lutheran Church Bothell, or to the charity of your choice. Her ashes will be scattered by her family at a later date.



View the online memorial for Nancy Rice Graumlich 1924-2018