Nancy Ann Sicotte
July 2, 1931-June 30, 2024
Palo Alto, California

Nancy Ann Sicotte passed away peacefully at her home on June 30, 2024, surrounded by her loving family just two days shy of her 93rd birthday. Nancy was preceded in death by her husband Sheldon Sicotte, and is survived by her two children Steve Sicotte (Francine) of Portland OR and Dan Sicotte (Erin) of Walnut Creek CA. She is also survived by her granddaughters Megan Sicotte-Kelly and Tessa Sicotte-Kelly, by her grandsons Kevin Stanley, Jeff Sicotte (Emily), and Rob Sicotte, and finally by her brother Dr. Richard Johnson of Kansas City MO.

Nancy’s life journey began with her birth in DeKalb IL on July 2, 1931, to parents Dean and Evelyn Johnson. Nancy was raised in Freeport, IL until 1939, at which point the family moved to Taft, CA (an oil town near Bakersfield) when her father, a high school teacher and football coach, accepted a faculty position at Taft High School. Nancy graduated from the high school as class valedictorian in 1949, and then continued her studies at Stanford University where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in History in 1953, and met her future husband Sheldon (better known by his nickname “Zeke”).

Nancy and Zeke wed in September 1954, and at that point launched a blessed marriage which spanned nearly 58 years until Zeke’s passing in 2012. The couple raised two boys, traveled extensively, enjoyed a wide circle of friends, and together pursued common interests such as genealogy, country music, and preserving the Oregon and California historic wagon trails, to name but a few. Their rich partnership together was always a source of great pride for Nancy, and a great model for their boys to follow as they themselves advanced into adulthood.

The couple settled in Palo Alto in 1958, and resided there for the rest of their lives. Nancy was an active member of her community, serving on PTAs and Stanford Alumni associations in her younger adult years, and the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) for the entirety of her adult life. She had numerous interests and hobbies, primary among them family genealogy, needlepoint, quilting, cooking, and music. She was an accomplished pianist, but perhaps most significantly was an avid bridge player. She played in several bridge groups on a regular basis, and among her most cherished relationships was the group of women (Stanford alumni, mainly) who formed a bridge group in the late 1950s and played on a bi weekly basis for over sixty years into the current decade. After the boys were raised, Nancy traveled extensively with Zeke both domestically and internationally.

Among all her activities and community associations, the role Nancy embraced most passionately was that of mother to her two sons. She was always a strong presence in their lives, impressing upon them the value of persistence, loyalty, and intellectual pursuit.