Nancy was born on December 18th, 1947, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Interboro High School (Norwood, PA) in 1965. She received her BS in Music Education from Atlantic Christian College (now Barton College, Wilson, NC) in 1969, and her MMus in Music Education from University of North Carolina – Greensboro in 1970. She met her husband, Tom, at Atlantic Christian, and together they moved from North Carolina to Illinois and then settled in Winchester, Virginia in 1974.

In Winchester, Nancy served as an educator at a variety of institutions, impacting students’ lives from age 7 to 70. Nancy taught music education at Shenandoah Conservatory from 1975-1991. From 1991 on she taught adult basic education, GED classes, and workplace literacy at the Dowell J Howard Center and English at Lord Fairfax Community College, working with both institutions until her retirement in 2015. She also served as a substitute teacher in the Winchester City Schools, teaching mostly at Daniel Morgan Middle School.

As a volunteer, she led Animal Allies Cat Rescue in Winchester for over a decade. In 1984 she and a handful of her friends founded the Shenandoah Valley Youth Orchestra, seeing an unfulfilled community need for string education for 10–17-year-olds throughout the northern valley.

In her retirement, she enjoyed genealogical research, tracing her family roots back beyond the Revolutionary War. She found cousins in England, which prompted her first and only trip abroad, visiting historical sites and family homes while enjoying wonderful high teas. She loved thrift stores, cats, the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, and the Valley Health Wellness Center, where she made a one-hour aqua aerobics class into a joyful three hour social event every day.

She was diagnosed with stage 3 pancreatic cancer in 2022. As part of her treatment, she received the first robotic-assisted Whipple surgery completed at Winchester Medical Center. Through chemo treatments, an incredible fighting spirit, and support from a loving community of family, friends, and neighbors, she survived for over three years after her diagnosis. She passed away on August 2nd at Blue Ridge Hospice Inpatient Care Center, surrounded by her family.

Nancy was predeceased by her father Paul Gray, mother Jane Sharp, and brother Stephen Gray. She is survived by her husband Tom Albert of Winchester, son Matt Albert of Ann Arbor, Michigan, and daughter Elizabeth Albert of Winchester, as well as nephews, a niece, cousins, and in-laws on both sides of her family.

A celebration of life will be scheduled later this fall. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Winchester Area SPCA or your favorite local animal rescue organization.