Nancy Gray Oertel

Nancy Gray Oertel lost her valiant battle with Alzheimer's Disease on July 12, 2017 in Portland, Oregon with her beloved husband, Wayne by her side.

Nancy was born in Seattle, Washington on July 15, 1937 to George Lloyd Shabro and Jean Bennett Gray Shabro. She graduated with a degree in Home Economics in 1959 from the University of Washington, where she met her future husband, Richard Wayne Oertel. They were married in Bellevue, Washington on July 26, 1959.

Nancy and Wayne started their married life in Bridgeport, Washington where Nancy was a substitute teacher. In 1960, they relocated to Sacramento, California where Nancy began her career with the State of California. She attended Business Administration and Accounting College (BAAC) and earned her CPA from University of California, Berkeley. Her career advanced quickly in the Department of Agriculture, specifically dealing with dairy administration and accounting, and auditing industry practices. She became the department's lead auditor, supervising and overseeing all auditors responsible for inspecting yearly every dairy in the state of California. Nancy retired from her dairy position in 1994.

Nancy and Wayne loved to travel. Their first big trip was to Greece, and they were thrilled to be able to see such astounding historical locations. They traveled extensively, and their destinations included France, Poland, Portugal, Italy, Scotland, Denmark, Finland, Austria, Hungary, India, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, many of the Caribbean Islands, Mexico, Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica, and Belize.

Nancy loved to sew, cook and enjoy fine wine. She and Wayne took advantage of the beautiful diverse areas of California and enjoyed spending time in Napa, Monterey, San Francisco, and the Sierras. Nancy especially enjoyed sharing her love of Jazz with Wayne, particularly Dixieland and Ragtime. Nancy and Wayne were active supporters of the University of Washington Alumni Association.

Nancy and Wayne moved to Mirabella Portland in January 2012, when it was still at only half capacity.

Nancy is survived by her husband Wayne, her brother-in-law William Clark, her nieces Eileen Selogie and Colleen Gallagher, her nephew Bill Clark, and her grand-nephew Jeremy Gallagher and grand-niece Katheryn Gallagher.

A memorial service and reception is planned for Wednesday, July 26, 2017 at 1:00 pm in ARIA at Mirabella Portland, 3550 SW Bond Ave, Portland, OR 97239. ARIA is located on the 24th floor. Donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association and/or Planned Parenthood.