Nancy Lynn Lords

Nancy Lynn Lords, age 87 (or age 21, sixty-six times, if you asked her), of Queen Creek, Arizona, passed away peacefully in her home, surrounded by love, on April 8, 2023.

Even in her later years, you could not beat Nancy Lords at a game of rummy, or at a water gun fight in the pool, or at the completion of a crossword puzzle.

She was competitive, vibrant, and intelligent, attributes cultivated from the very beginning by her mother, Freda Raub, and her father, Harry Raub, who at times looked to Nancy to fill the position of the son he didn’t have. Nancy Lynn, born on February 28, 1936 at the Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah, was the second daughter and last child in their family. As a result, she often found herself privileged to accompany her father on boy scout trips and to sporting events. She felt like the luckiest girl in the world to be the only girl having the same adventures as all of the boys.

She spent her childhood and youth in San Francisco, California, developing many talents: she became a skilled swimmer, passionate dancer, and talented pianist.

At age 19, while on break from college, Nancy attended a church stage show with her parents. Marlow Lords, a stagehand for the performance, spotted Nancy in the audience and asked her to attend the after-show party with him. Never one to shy away from a good time, and persuaded by his good looks, she said yes. A mere five months later, on November 15, 1955, Nancy and Marlow were married for time and all eternity in the Salt Lake City, Utah temple. They spent all of Nancy’s next 67 years together in love.

A short nine months after their wedding, their first child, David, was born. She spent the next fifteen years growing their family with four more children (Harry, Norman, Marlynn, and Tammy) and following Marlow across the world for his military career, living in California, Washington, Germany, and ultimately seeing him retire from the army in Utah.

In 1970, while raising four children in Germany, Nancy received her Bachelor’s Degree in History from the University of Maryland. Later, having had all five of her children, Nancy went back to school to earn her Master’s Degree. She received her Master’s in Social Work in 1984 from Utah State University. She spent 31 years in the challenging and fulfilling career of social work for the state of Utah.

In 2004, Nancy retired from social work to heed the call of the Lord to serve a mission. In 2005, together with Marlow, she left to serve the people of Ghana, Africa for 23 months. Her bright spirit and loving nature touched hundreds of lives while there. She was deeply honored to have a dear sister in the gospel name her baby “Nancy.”

After returning home from Ghana, Marlow and Nancy once again followed the inspiration of the Lord for a new adventure, leaving their Utah home of 37 years to make a new home in Queen Creek, Arizona in 2008.

Life in Arizona meant new and meaningful friendships, warm air to soothe her lungs, and the fulfillment of one of Nancy’s lifelong dreams: a swimming pool of her very own. She was most at home in the water and delighted in sharing her pool with loved ones. She could shoot a nothing-but-net shot in the pool hoop, swim laps with perfect technique, and showed no mercy in fierce water gun fights with the great-grandchildren.

When not in the pool, you might cozy up with Nancy in her room with a good chick-flick or an inspirational book. Or visit with her in her living room, while she listened with that perfect listening heart. Or laugh with her at family dinners on Sunday nights. Or join her for a game of Rummy, where, despite her protests that her hand was no good, she still somehow always managed to win.

She spent countless hours steeped in family history and loved attending and serving in the temple to further partake in that work.

Although she suffered many physical challenges in her final years, she was still often found with a cheery demeanor, and always with a testimony of her Lord and friend, Jesus Christ. On April 8, 2023, He called her home. She gracefully passed from this life to the next, awaiting her reunion with her parents, Freda and Harry Raub, and her grandson, Michael Breakall. She is survived by her husband, Marlow Lords, sister, Marcianne Slater, and five children: David (Yani) Lords, Harry (Patricia) Lords, Norman (Connie) Lords, Marlynn (Bret) Breakall, and Tammy (Patrick) Kendrick. She is also survived by 16 grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren.

Children and grandchildren alike, will all tell you that you could not leave the home of Nancy Lords without receiving a hug and a tearful, whispered wish that you didn’t have to go. And now it is our turn, with tear-filled eyes, to whisper the wish that Nancy didn’t have to go. We give praise to the Lord Jesus Christ for the hope we hold in the promise of eternal life, when in resurrected glory we will part no more.

On Friday, April 14th, a viewing will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Meridian Building: 22424 S Meridian Rd, Queen Creek, AZ, 85142.

On Saturday, April 15th, funeral services will begin at 11:00 a.m., also at the Meridian Building: 22424 S Meridian Rd, Queen Creek, AZ 85142.