Nancy Elaine Doherty was born December 2, 1957, in Wichita, KS, to John and Elizabeth “Betty” Doherty. She was the last of four, having oldest sister Sue, sister Becky, then brother Mike above her on the pecking order. They moved around a fair bit as Dad was employed in the Minuteman Missile Program and lived in different parts of the country, living in a travel trailer for some of it, trying to keep up with Dad.
As Nancy approached 4th grade, it was time to settle down, and the family moved to Bellevue, WA. Nancy met lifelong friends Robyn and Tana in 4th grade there. She went through Sherwood Forest Elementary, Highland Junior High, then graduated from Interlake in 1975. She then went to Central Washington State College in Ellensburg, graduating in 1979 with a B.S. in Psychology.
She met a fellow, Greg Herz, during this time and married soon after leaving school. She welcomed a son, Andrew, in August of 1982, and they settled in Monroe, then Seattle; this marriage ended a few years later.
Nancy worked for Trey Sherill at Datalight, an up-and-coming IT company in the late 80s. In late 1990, she met Greg Lawrence. After an in-and-out relationship, they became engaged in September 1994, and married on March 18, 1995 in Arlington, WA - later settling in Shoreline, WA. They blended their families, having Dad/Mom/Andrew(12)/Greg’s Daughter Emily (11). They welcomed “anniversary baby” Caroline on March 12, 1996, then daughter Annamarie on August 1, 1997. They moved to Ferndale WA in 1998, a county setting Nancy thoroughly enjoyed. In 2000, the family moved to San Antonio, TX, and settled in the home where she lived all her remaining days. Nancy joined her husband in assisting in Children’s Ministry as they served congregations at Calvary Chapel/San Antonio, Northeast Bible Church, then joining Believers Fellowship in 2008.
Nancy’s peace and calling was her family, first in Western Washington, then in Texas and New Mexico. She was in regular touch with them, in all the communication modes as things evolved. She studied the Word, listened to the Word, absorbed the Word while homeschooling four children while living in three locations in the first five years of marriage. She left the out-in-front aspects to her husband, supporting him faithfully for 26 years while making lovely and loving homes for the family to live in. She made hosts of friends, first in Washington, then in San Antonio over the last 21 years. It was her joy to largely raise her two younger daughters in one home for nearly all of their lives. She loved to garden, decorate (chicken theme), and spend some of every other summer on the family sailboat (San Juan Islands) with her brother, his wife, their daughter, and her daughters. She was a peaceable, loving woman who lived and left mortality with grace, beauty, and dignity.
Nancy’s heartache was the loss of her son, Andrew, in 2006, a pain that resides in a mother’s heart. But she persevered, oh how she persevered. Cancer in 2009, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, then, finally, 2021. She left us all for THE GLORY of GRACE bestowed by Jesus Christ on Wednesday, July 21, 2021, holding hands with the man she described as “the love of her life.” She was 63 years old. She loved greatly, was loved greatly, and she leaves big holes in so very many hearts. We love you Babe/Wife, Sister, Mom… and Sister-in-Christ.
NANCY’S FAMILY
Sister Susie Jackels (Chuck), Sister Becky Peterson (Michael), Brother Mike Doherty (LuAnn). Mother-In-Law Joan Smith Lawrence, Brother-In-Law Joe Lawrence, Sister-In-Law Josanne Cossio (Miguel). Husband Greg. Longtime friend Robyn Gunderson (Gary). Her Jewels: Son Andrew, Daughter Emily, Daughter Caroline (Luke), Daughter Annamarie. Granddaughters Emma, Rosabella, Evangelina.
These are the Immeasurable Loves.
She lives because HE LIVES. Amen.
