Nancy’s Obituary Vannerson, Nancy Ann Nancy Ann (Goss) Vannerson passed away Friday, March 22, 2019. She was born May 28, 1943, to Howard and Virginia (Graham) Goss. Born in Mission, Kansas, she moved to Wichita at a young age where she lived most of her life.
She graduated from Wichita North High School in 1961. She received her bachelor’s degree in education from the Wichita State University in 1965 where she was actively involved in dance and theater. Upon graduation Nancy began her lengthy teaching career while working on a master’s degree in education at Wichita State University.
Nancy spent several summers pursuing her passion for dance. She studied modern dance at Colorado College in the summer of 1966. She studied dance with Martha Graham in New York City for six weeks and studied modern dance at Connecticut College for six weeks during the summer of 1967.
In 1968 Nancy and Claire (McElroy) Wallenberg spent a semester at the University of Hawaii studying dance and touring the outer islands. Nancy loved to explore the world. Nancy backpacked through Europe and the British Isles for several months following her college graduation.
In the fall of 1967, she and Dianne Damro drove Nancy’s parents’ station wagon from Wichita to various destinations in Mexico and up to northern California while camping all along the way. After having children, Nancy enjoyed annual trips to Colorado with her boys to visit her sister Sue. She and Jane McHugh took their young boys on a lengthy camping trip across the southwest United States.
Nancy loved the Alaskan cruise she took with sister Judy. Coleman Schumacher and Nancy traveled to Las Vegas and took a cruise around the Hawaiian Islands. Nancy and her sisters traveled to Istanbul and Cairo before taking a cruise through the Greek Islands.
Nancy married Stan Vannerson in August 1970. The marriage ended in divorce. Nancy worked tirelessly and selflessly as a single mother to raise the couple’s two children with the love and support of Nancy’s parents, sisters, and many friends.
In addition to teaching in USD 259 for nearly three decades, Nancy was the dance specialist for all Wichita schools from 1975-1978. She was actively involved in community theater and choreographed the Miss Kansas pageant in 1972. Nancy shared her love of music and dance with her boys from an early age, and music remains a significant part of their lives today.
Running was another of Nancy’s passions. She began running in 1981 and ran sixteen marathons, including New York City Marathon, Boston Marathon, and Hawaii Marathon. Nancy loved to get dressed up, to have her hair and nails done and to wear bright-colored clothing and jewelry.
She was affectionately called “Fancy Nancy”, based on the book series, by the young children of family and friends including her grandson. Nancy was preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Virginia Goss. She is survived by her two adoring sons, Shane and Lance (Kristin), and one grandson, Fletcher.
She will be lovingly remembered by her three sisters, Judy Parcells, Sue (Mike) Bloodhart, and Kathy (John) Pike as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. A private celebration of Nancy’s life will be held for Nancy’s family and friends. Memorial donations in memory of Nancy may be made to the Ballet Wichita.
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