NANCY S. OWENS, born in Wooster, Ohio on August 4, 1949, stubbornly and bravely battled three bouts of breast cancer over a 20-year period until September 7, 2001.  Nancy grew up in St. Joseph, Michigan and graduated from Michigan State University in 1971 with a BS in Interior Design. She worked in the interior design field for four years and then moved to Houston in 1976 where she went to work for John Daugherty Realtors selling residential properties.  In 1981, she co-founded Turner-Owens Properties real estate firm. She sold the company in 1986 and started Nancy Owens Properties.  In an effort to simplify her life – after fighting off breast cancer for a second time in 1992 - she returned to John Daugherty Realtors as a broker associate.

Nancy received numerous awards and accolades during her 25-year real estate career including the prestigious John E. Wolf Citizenship Award in the year 2000 presented by the Houston Association of Realtors. She was a member of the Texas Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors.  She was active in a diverse group of organizations, including Kappa Kappa Gamma, Eye Openers (her breakfast club) and numerous charitable organizations.

Nancy’s passion was the country life.  She escaped to her 103-acre farm in Shelby, Texas, near Round Top, as frequently as she could to spend time with her precious horses and mules and just watch the grass and the wildflowers grow.  She very much enjoyed the little church by her farm, St. Paul Lutheran church.  Nancy was also an adventurous and zealous traveler, and was always up for a trip.

During her illness she was supported by many dear friends, including Amy Bernstein, Gloria Moorman, Bonnie Hellums, Candy Caspersen, Cay Dickson and so many other thoughtful, loving and supportive friends – in particular all of her real estate friends.

There was no greater beauty than Nancy’s smile and the twinkle in her eyes - whether she was showing her wonderful sense of humor, or working on a real estate deal.  The lessons of courage, faith and perseverance that she taught so many who knew her will forever be remembered.

A memorial service was held at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Rd., Houston, on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 at 2:00p.m.  Memorial arrangements were made by Settegast-Kopf.  The service was over-flowing  with mourners despite the paralysis from the emotional events of the morning of  9-11.  The early events of the day made the made the tragic loss of a beautiful friend even more poignant.

She was a lady, first and foremost. Dignified, sophisticated, elegant.

Nancy was the epitome of the saying "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade". With very few exceptions, she found something good in people and in situations from which others might have retreated.

Her sense of humor was legendary. It was innocent, and without being found at the expense of another's feelings. It was the unbridled joy that you might see in a child. Her friends loved it when she ventured out to the very edge of being risqué and full of mischief. The sound of her laughter could ignite a chain reaction in a group. It was one of the sounds that filled her life, and the lives of those around her, most often.

She was an immaculate dresser, even when she was just hanging out. She wore bright colors that set off her beauty magnificently, and every accessory was perfectly placed and coordinated. And yet, Nancy was a very down-to-earth woman, with no airs of entitlement.

She and her husband, Joe, with whom she shared 25 years, had a ranch in Shelby, Texas. That ranch, with its herds of mules and horses, was Nancy's touchstone in life. It rejuvenated and inspired her, even as she relaxed, and let go of the hustle and bustle of life in Houston. Upstairs, in the bedroom overlooking the fields of spring and summer wildflowers, she found quiet and peace. Followed up the stairs by her loyal black Labrador, Mandy, she would sit by the window and read a book - or just be.

Nancy loved real estate, and she was the consummate realtor. Her friend, Amy, tells a story of a time when she was driving Nancy home from a chemotherapy treatment and Nancy asked if Amy would drive by a particular house - because Nancy wanted to look at it to estimate the value! Even when she was at home, and was no longer able to work, Nancy was still doing real estate deals, with the help of her incredible assistant, Gloria. They were a team, those two, and they worked together like a well-oiled machine.

Just the mention of the phrase "oldies music" would make Nancy's eyes light up like a Christmas tree. She adored the music from the 50's and 60's, and she loved to dance to those tunes and sing every word just like it was yesterday - 40 years later.

There is so much more to say, and it will be said. For now, we must take our memories of Nancy and cherish them. Remember how she enjoyed a good laugh, and as each day passes, try to find the laughter in your heart...for it will surely be Nancy helping you through the day.

That she was physically beautiful was probably what most people noticed first about her. Dark brown hair, perfectly styled, framed her porcelain, wrinkle-free face. Her hazel (although sometimes they appeared to be green or blue) eyes constantly twinkled and were full of enthusiasm. When she smiled at you, you could feel the power of that smile from your head to your toes. Even if you were having a bad day, you smiled back at her, almost involuntarily, and somehow you felt a little better. Nancy was as beautiful inside as she was on the outside.

Nancy was the epitome of the saying "when life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” With very few exceptions, she found something good in every person and in situations from which others might have retreated.

Her sense of humor was legendary. It was innocent and never at the expense of another's feelings. She had unbridled joy that you might see in a child. Her friends loved it when she ventured out to the very edge of being risqué and mischievousness. The sound of her laughter could ignite a chain reaction in a group. It was one of the sounds that filled her life, and the lives of those around her, most often.

She was an immaculate dresser, even when she was just hanging out. She wore bright colors that set off her beauty magnificently, and every accessory was perfectly placed and coordinated. And yet, Nancy was a very down-to-earth woman, with no airs of entitlement.

She and her husband, Joe, with whom she shared 25 years, had a ranch in Shelby, Texas. That ranch, with its herds of mules and horses, was Nancy's touchstone in life. It rejuvenated and inspired her, even as she relaxed, and let go of the hustle and bustle of life in Houston. Upstairs in the bedroom overlooking the fields of spring and summer wildflowers, she found quiet and peace. Followed up the stairs by her loyal black Labrador, Mandy, she would sit by the window and read a book - or just be.

Nancy loved real estate, and she was the consummate Realtor. Her friend, Amy, tells a story of a time when she was driving Nancy home from a chemotherapy treatment and Nancy asked if Amy would drive by a particular house - because Nancy wanted to look at it to estimate the value! Even when she was at home, no longer able to work, Nancy was still doing real estate deals with the help of her incredible assistant, Gloria. They were a team, those two, and they worked together like a well-oiled machine.

Just the mention of the phrase "oldies music" would make Nancy's eyes light up like a Christmas tree. She adored the music from the 50's and 60's, and she loved to dance to those tunes and sing every word just like it was yesterday - 40 years later.

Her copious friends cherish their memories of Nancy. Remember that she enjoyed a good laugh, and as each day passes, try to find the laughter in your heart...for it will surely be Nancy helping you through the day.