Nancy Jean Nunley 1939 - 2025

Nancy Jean Nunley

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December 27, 1939 - August 2, 2025

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Nancy Jean Nunley, age 85, of Sheridan, Oregon passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 2nd while at home in Sheridan with her family after a long battle with cancer.

Nancy was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on December 27th 1939, the first child of the marriage of Edna Hasslen and Ted Myron. Her brother Jim Myron was born in the summer of 1942. The family moved from Ortonville, Minnesota to Portland, Oregon in late 1943 when Ted Myron took a job working in the shipyards during the war. Nancy’s brother Tom was born in June of 1948.

In August 1949, the family moved to Carver, Oregon, where all the Myron children grew up. Nancy spent her summers bunching radishes and onions or picking berries during her high school years. She graduated from Milwaukie High School in June of 1957. She then moved to McMinnville, Oregon to attend Linfield College and graduated with a degree in pre-nursing in 1960, while continuing on to University of Oregon achieving a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing in 1963. 

While attending Linfield College, Nancy participated on a special project with Professor Emeritus Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds on a botanical and entomological survey within the Oregon Coastal Range. Nancy was instrumental in the collection and documentation of numerous specimens, including over forty distinct species of fungi, as well as hundreds of various plant and insect species. Professor Dirks-Edmunds lauded her contributions, describing her as "a very capable and dedicated student assistant." Nancy's work is formally recognized and documented in the book "Not Just Trees: The Legacy of a Douglas-fir Forest" by Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds, which details the extensive research and findings of their collective efforts. 

Nancy started her career at the Yamhill County Public Health Department in 1963. She went on to have a 44-year career in Public Health, and served as the Public Health Administrator for the last 25 years of her career. She retired in 2007. She was one of the first women to be in a management position at the Public Health Department, and while there she established several of the community health programs that still exist today in Yamhill County. Nancy dedicated her life to public service, helping countless people with her compassionate care and commitment to community well-being.

Beyond her professional life, Nancy cultivated a deep passion for bonsai, transforming her love for miniature trees into a thriving business, selling her intricate creations at the vibrant Saturday Markets in Salem and McMinnville. An avid rockhound and nature enthusiast, she also found immense joy in exploring the natural world, collecting agates and rocks from all over the world. She was also very active with Gallery Players’ in McMinnville as a dancer, actress and backstage supporter. She landed roles in various plays over the years, culminating in her starring role in “Shadow Box” in 1994. She continued to travel the world and explore her passions well into her retirement years and was always doing something that spoke to her adventurous spirit. 

She is survived by her husband, Jay Nunley, and her children Greg Collins of Portland, Karin Collins of Sheridan, and Danaea Jackman of Sheridan, as well as her brother, Jim Myron of Canby and many cousins, nieces and nephews. She was a wonderful mother, sister, wife and friend. She will be sorely missed. 

Instead of flowers, memorial contributions can be sent to Homeward Bound Pets in McMinnville. A celebration of life will be held on October 17th at 1:00pm, 2025 at J Wrigley Vineyards in Sheridan, Oregon. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to nunleyrsvp@gmail.com.