- Date Of Birth: March 31, 1939
- Date Of Death: April 10, 2021
- State: Arizona
Nancy Ruth Sauder, age 82, left us for her heavenly home on April 10, 2021, in Scottsdale, Arizona after nearly a year-long battle against an very aggressive cancer. She never wavered and keep positive the whole way through. She just knew how to be tough, living her whole life with the pain of joint damaging, rheumatoid arthritis.
Nancy was born in Canton, Ohio on March 31, 1939. She had some illness, including rheumatic fever, in her young years that kept her bed-ridden, but her allergies were bad enough that doctors recommend they move out to Arizona, so out to Arizona they all came. It didn’t help her allergies, but at least they didn’t have to shovel snow anymore.
Nancy graduated from West Phoenix High School. She married young and after a valent effort at marriage, divorced and raised her two young children by herself. Somewhere along the way, she ended up with some great skills, like shorthand. She worked as a secretary for the Scottsdale Board of Realtors that was housed in the historic Nuss Building on Scottsdale Road. She later moved onto Russ Lyon Realty and worked the lion-share of her career with them. After she retired, she continued to work and volunteer. She was the secretary at First Christian Church where she also enjoyed being a member of the choir.
Nancy had many interests, hobbies and talents. She loved to sing and sang with a number of different groups, in addition to church choirs. She was a huge fan of muscle cars and driving fast, which she picked up from her older brother. She held onto her beloved ’77 Macho TA until just a few years ago. She loved her cats; her favorites were Cali and later Chole who lived a really long life. Nancy was so dedicated to Chloe’s care, she had to be home at 8 am and 8 pm daily to give her shots for diabetes. She also loved to spend time traveling and going on trips with her brother all over the US and abroad. Sometimes she would just meet them at a specific destination or hang out at their cabin. She did make it to London, Brazil, Trinidad, Canada, and to the Middle East — more places than can be listed. She even hiked in and out of the Grand Canyon. She was an accomplished seamstress and loved to sew and put fabric together. She did cross-stich, beading and made jewelry. She always had a garden and quite a green thumb. She loved music and played the organ and the piano. She was passionate about cooking and baking and of all of her hobbies, collecting recipes would probably come out on top.
Nancy is survived by her brother, David R. Groves (Mary Jo), her daughter, Susan Kay Sweeney (Jim), her son Ronald Lee Sauder, her granddaughters, Shelby Ann Rostas, Kaylin Ruth Sweeney, Tiffany Halstead, and Leigh Sauder Everette, her six great-grandchildren, and a number of cousins, including Rich Groves, Larry Groves and Bill Groves Jr.
Nancy was preceded in death by her parents, Leslie Omer Groves and Ruth Margaret Groves.
