Nancy Elliott MacDonald

August 16, 1937 - July 15, 2022

Nancy, of Citrus Heights, California, passed away at age 84 after a short battle with cancer. She was born in Alhambra to Grace and Charles Elliott and was the fourth of their four daughters. Nancy was preceded in death by her parents and eldest sister, Jean Elliott Ranson '46, husbands Robert Mealiff, Robert Sandy, and Colin MacDonald, and her high school sweetheart and late life partner, Walter Otto '55.

Nancy was mother to William E Sandy and Daniel R Sandy, and stepmother to Katie and Robert MacDonald. She raised her children with love and devotion in Salt Lake City, Utah until 1969 and then in Bridgeport, California until 1978, and then in the Sacramento area. Nancy left her position as an administrative assistant for the University of Utah Athletics Department in Salt Lake City to become administrative assistant to the superintendent of Eastern Sierra Unified School District in Bridgeport. Life changes and better professional opportunities brought Nancy to Sacramento where she was an administrative assistant for the California State Senate Transportation Committee under three different governors from 1978 to 1987.

'NancyMac' (as she was known professionally in the quilting world) was an immensely talented artist. She was only eight years old when she started sewing on her mother's old sewing machine. She grew up hearing, 'we can make that,' so that was what she learned to do. She made clothing, dolls, tailored woolen garments, wedding dresses, draperies, slipcovers, and upholstery, but that was only the beginning. For her sons she made ski pants and parkas, sleeping bags, backpacks, and even tents. Nancy continued to explore and express her fabric artistry through knitting, needlepoint, embroidery, and ultimately, award-winning quilting. Her beautiful and striking quilts were shown, appraised, judged, and commissioned locally, nationally, and internationally. The mass of awards she earned over the years is only a mild testament to her prolific love for creating. She began teaching quilting in 1995, specializing in curved-seam piecing by machine. She taught for years in many locations, sharing her candidness, and making friends all along the way. She was a published author, her book details her unique technique that simplifies the process of making quilts with the traditional 'Winding Ways' technique. It is fitting that NancyMac was also a trained quilting judge.

She also loved to sing and perform and did so for many years with the neighborhood troupe who entertained not only the neighborhood with their shows, but also the residents of many convalescent homes. She was a caring and giving friend and neighbor and truly made an indelible impression on all whom she touched.

She is survived by her sons William and Daniel; step-children Katie and Robert MacDonald; several grandchildren; and her sisters, Ann Elliott Stuart '47 and Judith Elliott Spivey '50 and their families; and many others who were woven into her amazing fabric of life.

The Sacramento Bee, August 26, 2022