OBITUARY
Nancy Welty Colbert
May 10, 1943 - March 12, 2023
Nancy Colbert was a beloved, respected, intelligent, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, neighbor, and long-time community volunteer. Nancy passed away peacefully on March 12, 2023, in Oakland at the age of 79, surrounded by family.
Nancy was born in Oakland on May 10, 1943, and with her three siblings was raised in Modesto, where her father Robert Welty, a Civil Engineer and almond rancher on the West Side and mother Eleanor Church Welty resided. Nancy's parents met at UC Berkeley in the mid 1930's. She was the granddaughter of Noah Welty who left Ohio in 1880 to farm near Patterson, California.
Nancy attended Thomas Downey High School in Modesto and was a proud alumnus of University of the Pacific in Stockton, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree and teaching credential and was a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority where she made everlasting friends.She also attended the University of Vienna in 1964 and received a Master's Degree with an Educational Counseling emphasis in 1989 from Saint Mary's College.
She met her husband, Dennis in 1962 and they were married in December, 1964 and embarked on a life long loving partnership that took them from Modesto to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Cape Elizabeth, Maine, to Orinda and to Oakland where they lived for 50 years.
Nancy was proud of her many professional accomplishments which included teaching elementary school for one year in Sanger, California, managing a pre-school in Ann Arbor, President of the Junior League East Bay in 1984-1985, and Independent Educational Consultant from 1990 to 2015 where she helped many high school students with their college selection process.
In addition, in 2005, Nancy along with her husband established the Balinese Children's Education Foundation where she oversaw the renovation of four rural village elementary schools in Bali and establishment of after school education programs which are still ongoing today with about 250 children attending each week. Nancy always told the children that learning can be fun and she repeated that every time she was in the schools on her more than 30 trips to Bali. She loved the children so much.
Also in Bali, Nancy established a program to help young girls with financial assistance so that they could finish high school and in some cases university and help break the cycle of poverty that existed in their families. Nancy loved the girls and they looked up to her for guidance and advice. Over the last few years over 20 young women have participated in this program.
During the Covid crisis in Bali when tourism ground to a halt and incomes dropped substantially, Nancy was instrumental in organizing food relief and organized a donation of 50,000 pounds of rice to needy families. Also, during a recent volcanic eruption in Bali Nancy took clothing and food to village shelters; she was always so willing to help quickly in situations like this.
Nancy was also very involved as a volunteer with many groups in the Bay Area, besides the Junior League of the East Bay, a volunteer for Teach for America, a member of the Banyan Branch volunteer organization for Children's Hospital in Oakland, College selection counselor volunteer for Bishop O'Dowd High School, Coordinator of the college selection center at Fremont High School in Oakland, staff member for the Bay Center for Educational Services, and many years with the Oakland Public Library.
Besides the Bali Foundation, where she was co-founder, Nancy held board memberships at the Center for Living Skills, Marcus Foster Educational Institute and Children's House at the Children's Hospital in Oakland.
Nancy had a great spirit and was very adventuresome and loved international travel and walking the streets of Madrid, Lisbon, Paris, Dublin, and Bangkok, to mention a few, as well as the small villages in Bali where she worked in the schools.She was game for anything. As an example, it was her idea to buy silk scarves, first in Bali and then she went to Bangkok and looked all over the city for vendors that could provide the quality she was looking for, and then brought them back to her home in Oakland to sell to friends to raise money for her education work in Bali. We're sure many of her friends still have scarves they purchased from Nancy.
She also really loved being with her friends and greatly valued her friendships with people. She also loved cooking and entertaining in her homes in Orinda and Oakland as well as working in her garden.
Nancy loved her family more than anything and leaves behind her husband Dennis, sister Susan () ... sister Christina ... brother ... daughter ... daughter ... son ... seven grandchildren, ... and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
The children and grandchildren all worked with Nancy on volunteer projects and some even traveled to Bali to work in the schools, which she loved. The grandchildren have already discussed managing the foundation themselves in Bali in the future to continue to honor their Noni.
A Celebration of Life is being planned for April in Bali and June in Oakland. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that anyone that wishes to honor Nancy's memory contribute to the Balinese Children's Education Foundation to help support education for young women in Bali. For further information contact [email protected].
Published by San Francisco Chronicle on Mar. 29, 2023.
=======================
Nancy Welty Colbert
May 10, 1943 - March 12, 2023
Nancy Colbert was a beloved, respected, intelligent, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, neighbor, and long-time community volunteer. Nancy passed away peacefully on March 12, 2023, in Oakland at the age of 79, surrounded by family.
Nancy was born in Oakland on May 10, 1943, and with her three siblings was raised in Modesto, where her father Robert Welty, a Civil Engineer and almond rancher on the West Side and mother Eleanor Church Welty resided. Nancy's parents met at UC Berkeley in the mid 1930's. She was the granddaughter of Noah Welty who left Ohio in 1880 to farm near Patterson, California.
Nancy attended Thomas Downey High School in Modesto and was a proud alumnus of University of the Pacific in Stockton, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree and teaching credential and was a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority where she made everlasting friends.She also attended the University of Vienna in 1964 and received a Master's Degree with an Educational Counseling emphasis in 1989 from Saint Mary's College.
She met her husband, Dennis in 1962 and they were married in December, 1964 and embarked on a life long loving partnership that took them from Modesto to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Cape Elizabeth, Maine, to Orinda and to Oakland where they lived for 50 years.
Nancy was proud of her many professional accomplishments which included teaching elementary school for one year in Sanger, California, managing a pre-school in Ann Arbor, President of the Junior League East Bay in 1984-1985, and Independent Educational Consultant from 1990 to 2015 where she helped many high school students with their college selection process.
In addition, in 2005, Nancy along with her husband established the Balinese Children's Education Foundation where she oversaw the renovation of four rural village elementary schools in Bali and establishment of after school education programs which are still ongoing today with about 250 children attending each week. Nancy always told the children that learning can be fun and she repeated that every time she was in the schools on her more than 30 trips to Bali. She loved the children so much.
Also in Bali, Nancy established a program to help young girls with financial assistance so that they could finish high school and in some cases university and help break the cycle of poverty that existed in their families. Nancy loved the girls and they looked up to her for guidance and advice. Over the last few years over 20 young women have participated in this program.
During the Covid crisis in Bali when tourism ground to a halt and incomes dropped substantially, Nancy was instrumental in organizing food relief and organized a donation of 50,000 pounds of rice to needy families. Also, during a recent volcanic eruption in Bali Nancy took clothing and food to village shelters; she was always so willing to help quickly in situations like this.
Nancy was also very involved as a volunteer with many groups in the Bay Area, besides the Junior League of the East Bay, a volunteer for Teach for America, a member of the Banyan Branch volunteer organization for Children's Hospital in Oakland, College selection counselor volunteer for Bishop O'Dowd High School, Coordinator of the college selection center at Fremont High School in Oakland, staff member for the Bay Center for Educational Services, and many years with the Oakland Public Library.
Besides the Bali Foundation, where she was co-founder, Nancy held board memberships at the Center for Living Skills, Marcus Foster Educational Institute and Children's House at the Children's Hospital in Oakland.
Nancy had a great spirit and was very adventuresome and loved international travel and walking the streets of Madrid, Lisbon, Paris, Dublin, and Bangkok, to mention a few, as well as the small villages in Bali where she worked in the schools.She was game for anything. As an example, it was her idea to buy silk scarves, first in Bali and then she went to Bangkok and looked all over the city for vendors that could provide the quality she was looking for, and then brought them back to her home in Oakland to sell to friends to raise money for her education work in Bali. We're sure many of her friends still have scarves they purchased from Nancy.
She also really loved being with her friends and greatly valued her friendships with people. She also loved cooking and entertaining in her homes in Orinda and Oakland as well as working in her garden.
Nancy loved her family more than anything and leaves behind her husband Dennis, sister Susan () ... sister Christina ... brother ... daughter ... daughter ... son ... seven grandchildren, ... and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
The children and grandchildren all worked with Nancy on volunteer projects and some even traveled to Bali to work in the schools, which she loved. The grandchildren have already discussed managing the foundation themselves in Bali in the future to continue to honor their Noni.
A Celebration of Life is being planned for April in Bali and June in Oakland. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that anyone that wishes to honor Nancy's memory contribute to the Balinese Children's Education Foundation to help support education for young women in Bali. For further information contact [email protected].
Published by San Francisco Chronicle on Mar. 29, 2023.
=======================
OBITUARY
Nancy Welty Colbert
May 10, 1943 - March 12, 2023
Nancy Colbert was a beloved, respected, intelligent, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, neighbor, and long-time community volunteer. Nancy passed away peacefully on March 12, 2023, in Oakland at the age of 79, surrounded by family.
Nancy was born in Oakland on May 10, 1943, and with her three siblings was raised in Modesto, where her father Robert Welty, a Civil Engineer and almond rancher on the West Side and mother Eleanor Church Welty resided. Nancy's parents met at UC Berkeley in the mid 1930's. She was the granddaughter of Noah Welty who left Ohio in 1880 to farm near Patterson, California.
Nancy attended Thomas Downey High School in Modesto and was a proud alumnus of University of the Pacific in Stockton, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree and teaching credential and was a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority where she made everlasting friends.She also attended the University of Vienna in 1964 and received a Master's Degree with an Educational Counseling emphasis in 1989 from Saint Mary's College.
She met her husband, Dennis in 1962 and they were married in December, 1964 and embarked on a life long loving partnership that took them from Modesto to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Cape Elizabeth, Maine, to Orinda and to Oakland where they lived for 50 years.
Nancy was proud of her many professional accomplishments which included teaching elementary school for one year in Sanger, California, managing a pre-school in Ann Arbor, President of the Junior League East Bay in 1984-1985, and Independent Educational Consultant from 1990 to 2015 where she helped many high school students with their college selection process.
In addition, in 2005, Nancy along with her husband established the Balinese Children's Education Foundation where she oversaw the renovation of four rural village elementary schools in Bali and establishment of after school education programs which are still ongoing today with about 250 children attending each week. Nancy always told the children that learning can be fun and she repeated that every time she was in the schools on her more than 30 trips to Bali. She loved the children so much.
Also in Bali, Nancy established a program to help young girls with financial assistance so that they could finish high school and in some cases university and help break the cycle of poverty that existed in their families. Nancy loved the girls and they looked up to her for guidance and advice. Over the last few years over 20 young women have participated in this program.
During the Covid crisis in Bali when tourism ground to a halt and incomes dropped substantially, Nancy was instrumental in organizing food relief and organized a donation of 50,000 pounds of rice to needy families. Also, during a recent volcanic eruption in Bali Nancy took clothing and food to village shelters; she was always so willing to help quickly in situations like this.
Nancy was also very involved as a volunteer with many groups in the Bay Area, besides the Junior League of the East Bay, a volunteer for Teach for America, a member of the Banyan Branch volunteer organization for Children's Hospital in Oakland, College selection counselor volunteer for Bishop O'Dowd High School, Coordinator of the college selection center at Fremont High School in Oakland, staff member for the Bay Center for Educational Services, and many years with the Oakland Public Library.
Besides the Bali Foundation, where she was co-founder, Nancy held board memberships at the Center for Living Skills, Marcus Foster Educational Institute and Children's House at the Children's Hospital in Oakland.
Nancy had a great spirit and was very adventuresome and loved international travel and walking the streets of Madrid, Lisbon, Paris, Dublin, and Bangkok, to mention a few, as well as the small villages in Bali where she worked in the schools.She was game for anything. As an example, it was her idea to buy silk scarves, first in Bali and then she went to Bangkok and looked all over the city for vendors that could provide the quality she was looking for, and then brought them back to her home in Oakland to sell to friends to raise money for her education work in Bali. We're sure many of her friends still have scarves they purchased from Nancy.
She also really loved being with her friends and greatly valued her friendships with people. She also loved cooking and entertaining in her homes in Orinda and Oakland as well as working in her garden.
Nancy loved her family more than anything and leaves behind her husband Dennis, sister Susan () ... sister Christina ... brother ... daughter ... daughter ... son ... seven grandchildren, ... and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
The children and grandchildren all worked with Nancy on volunteer projects and some even traveled to Bali to work in the schools, which she loved. The grandchildren have already discussed managing the foundation themselves in Bali in the future to continue to honor their Noni.
A Celebration of Life is being planned for April in Bali and June in Oakland. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that anyone that wishes to honor Nancy's memory contribute to the Balinese Children's Education Foundation to help support education for young women in Bali. For further information contact [email protected].
Published by San Francisco Chronicle on Mar. 29, 2023.
=======================
Nancy Welty Colbert
May 10, 1943 - March 12, 2023
Nancy Colbert was a beloved, respected, intelligent, wife, mother, grandmother, friend, neighbor, and long-time community volunteer. Nancy passed away peacefully on March 12, 2023, in Oakland at the age of 79, surrounded by family.
Nancy was born in Oakland on May 10, 1943, and with her three siblings was raised in Modesto, where her father Robert Welty, a Civil Engineer and almond rancher on the West Side and mother Eleanor Church Welty resided. Nancy's parents met at UC Berkeley in the mid 1930's. She was the granddaughter of Noah Welty who left Ohio in 1880 to farm near Patterson, California.
Nancy attended Thomas Downey High School in Modesto and was a proud alumnus of University of the Pacific in Stockton, where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree and teaching credential and was a proud member of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority where she made everlasting friends.She also attended the University of Vienna in 1964 and received a Master's Degree with an Educational Counseling emphasis in 1989 from Saint Mary's College.
She met her husband, Dennis in 1962 and they were married in December, 1964 and embarked on a life long loving partnership that took them from Modesto to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Cape Elizabeth, Maine, to Orinda and to Oakland where they lived for 50 years.
Nancy was proud of her many professional accomplishments which included teaching elementary school for one year in Sanger, California, managing a pre-school in Ann Arbor, President of the Junior League East Bay in 1984-1985, and Independent Educational Consultant from 1990 to 2015 where she helped many high school students with their college selection process.
In addition, in 2005, Nancy along with her husband established the Balinese Children's Education Foundation where she oversaw the renovation of four rural village elementary schools in Bali and establishment of after school education programs which are still ongoing today with about 250 children attending each week. Nancy always told the children that learning can be fun and she repeated that every time she was in the schools on her more than 30 trips to Bali. She loved the children so much.
Also in Bali, Nancy established a program to help young girls with financial assistance so that they could finish high school and in some cases university and help break the cycle of poverty that existed in their families. Nancy loved the girls and they looked up to her for guidance and advice. Over the last few years over 20 young women have participated in this program.
During the Covid crisis in Bali when tourism ground to a halt and incomes dropped substantially, Nancy was instrumental in organizing food relief and organized a donation of 50,000 pounds of rice to needy families. Also, during a recent volcanic eruption in Bali Nancy took clothing and food to village shelters; she was always so willing to help quickly in situations like this.
Nancy was also very involved as a volunteer with many groups in the Bay Area, besides the Junior League of the East Bay, a volunteer for Teach for America, a member of the Banyan Branch volunteer organization for Children's Hospital in Oakland, College selection counselor volunteer for Bishop O'Dowd High School, Coordinator of the college selection center at Fremont High School in Oakland, staff member for the Bay Center for Educational Services, and many years with the Oakland Public Library.
Besides the Bali Foundation, where she was co-founder, Nancy held board memberships at the Center for Living Skills, Marcus Foster Educational Institute and Children's House at the Children's Hospital in Oakland.
Nancy had a great spirit and was very adventuresome and loved international travel and walking the streets of Madrid, Lisbon, Paris, Dublin, and Bangkok, to mention a few, as well as the small villages in Bali where she worked in the schools.She was game for anything. As an example, it was her idea to buy silk scarves, first in Bali and then she went to Bangkok and looked all over the city for vendors that could provide the quality she was looking for, and then brought them back to her home in Oakland to sell to friends to raise money for her education work in Bali. We're sure many of her friends still have scarves they purchased from Nancy.
She also really loved being with her friends and greatly valued her friendships with people. She also loved cooking and entertaining in her homes in Orinda and Oakland as well as working in her garden.
Nancy loved her family more than anything and leaves behind her husband Dennis, sister Susan () ... sister Christina ... brother ... daughter ... daughter ... son ... seven grandchildren, ... and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
The children and grandchildren all worked with Nancy on volunteer projects and some even traveled to Bali to work in the schools, which she loved. The grandchildren have already discussed managing the foundation themselves in Bali in the future to continue to honor their Noni.
A Celebration of Life is being planned for April in Bali and June in Oakland. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that anyone that wishes to honor Nancy's memory contribute to the Balinese Children's Education Foundation to help support education for young women in Bali. For further information contact [email protected].
Published by San Francisco Chronicle on Mar. 29, 2023.
=======================
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