Nancy Sacrison Curtis, 53

Nancy Curtis died at home in Missoula Dec. 19, with her family by her side, after living with cancer the past two years. She was 53.

Nancy was born June 1, 1962, to Hans and LeAna Sacrison. As a young girl she lived all over the western United States, and then spent three years in Australia before settling with her folks in the Flathead Valley. Nancy was a Flathead Brave where she became heavily involved in journalism, cheerleading and tennis. After high school she attended the University of Montana and earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees. As a high school Spanish teacher in Malta, Red Lodge and Missoula she, no doubt, touched hundreds of lives. All along the way Nancy made lifelong friends.

Nancy married Ray Curtis on the first day of school the fall of 1991. Their daughter, Jadi, was born in 1993.

Together they enjoyed many adventures traveling throughout the U.S. and Europe, but her favorite place was home and the farm in the Flathead. She always had a camera in hand, earning her the nickname Snapshot.

What you really need to know about Nancy, and what she will be remembered for, is her legacy of caring and kindness. She was elegant, yet simple. She was extremely beautiful inside and out. She was admired and loved by many including her students. She never wanted to be courageous but she was. She learned to see the glass as half full and her faith became bigger than her fear.