Nancy C. Sparrow

SPARROW, MOLL, MACE, WILLOUGHBY, KEMPF, WAHL

Posted By: Tara (email)
Date: 12/27/2010 at 14:15:23

Nancy C. Sparrow, 68, of Coralville, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 23, 2010, at Mercy Hospital, following a short illness. A Memorial Service will be held at 2 pm on Tuesday, December 28 at Lensing’s Oak Hill in Coralville. Visitation will be from 4-7 pm on Monday at Lensing’s Oak Hill, 210 Holiday Road, Coralville. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to The Nancy Sparrow Memorial Fund.
Nancy was born on September 17, 1942, in Iowa City, the daughter of Raymond and Velma (Moll) Mace. She was a 1960 graduate of City High School and a 1965 graduate of The University of Iowa. On March 31, 1967, Nancy was united in marriage to Jerry Sparrow.
Nancy began her teaching career in 1965, teaching high school for the Clear Creek Community School District. After one year, she moved to Cedar Rapids and taught first grade for three years before moving back to Iowa City, where she taught a variety of elementary grades. Nancy eventually decided on kindergarten and continued to teach for nearly 38 years, retiring in 2005. Nancy was a wonderful teacher who truly loved all of her students.
In her free time, Nancy enjoyed spending time with her family and her cat and dog. She loved to crochet and knit, and was an avid reader and collector of books. By all accounts, Nancy has a collection of over 8,000 childrens books alone.
Nancy is survived by her husband Jerry and son Ben, both of Coralville, her three sisters: Barbara (Ray) Willoughby of Iowa City, Joan (Bob) Kempf of Solon and Deanna (Don) Wahl of Ankeny; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents and her half-sister Patricia Mace.