Nancy Wilson Rossman

Nancy was born on April 27, 1945. She embraced life passionately and wholeheartedly for 78 remarkable years, and on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, took her final bow. She was the daughter of Elise Hunter and Richard Wilson, born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina where her father served at The Naval Air Station during WWII. Post-war, the family made their home on a farm in Lodi, where Nancy learned the value of hard work and responsibility, developed a love of animals, and gained a solid foundation for life's future challenges. Nancy graduated from Cloverleaf High School in 1963 and Miami University of Ohio in 1967. Later she obtained a master's degree in education from Northern Michigan University. While living in the upper peninsula of Michigan with her first husband, Tom Berry, she had her only child, Robin, who would play a supporting role throughout the journey of her life. After teaching elementary school for five years, she sought opportunities to start a new career in business, and a new life in the West. In 1972 she moved to Tucson, Arizona where she became one of the first women on the Xerox corporate sales team. Charismatic and outgoing, Nancy was a born saleswoman. She quickly rose to the position of engineering sales executive covering the state of Arizona. Making friends wherever she went, she met her match in fellow salesman, Gary Rossman. They were married in 1980, and she moved to Seattle, Washington. She continued to thrive professionally and joined Grubb & Ellis commercial real estate. Later, she became one of the top 50 brokers at CB Commercial (CBRE). Among her proudest accomplishments was mentoring three young trainees, Brian Adams, John Sullivan, and Daran Davidson, who would all go on to stellar careers of their own. She affectionally referred to them as 'my three sons.' In 1994 she moved with her husband, Gary back to her beloved Arizona to continue her career in commercial real estate with Classic Real Estate/Colliers International. Her hobby of writing, which she found therapeutic, became more prominent at this time. Always an animated storyteller, she set her sights on learning the craft of writing by attending classes at Centrum Writers Conference in Port Townsend, Washington and Tin House at Reed College in Portland. Over a period of 10 years, she authored two books based on true events: First Love, Last Dance, about her mother's extraordinary life, and Nothing for Tomorrow, a story of deep friendship and tragic loss. Nancy gained inspiration from a numerous, diverse set of friends and life experiences. She recognized the value of stretching herself physically and mentally and was sometimes attracted to things that scared her. With husband, Gary she summited Mount Rainier in 1982, made a tandem bungee jump off a bridge in Queenstown, New Zealand in 1995, and ran a marathon with daughter, Robin in Sacramento, California in 1997. Even harder than a bungee jump or mountain climb, however, was breaking into the theater business. After retiring from real estate in 2008, Nancy pursued her long-held dream of appearing on stage by attending an open call audition for Ford Robert Black agency in Scottsdale. Once again, her persistence and hard work paid off as she was signed to their senior modeling and acting team. She took the opportunity seriously by working with an acting coach, taking improv classes, voice and dance lessons. In 2019 she landed her first role in 'It's A Wonderful Life' at the Don Bluth Front Row Theater. She reprised the role and next played the feisty, acerbic Ouiser Boudreaux in the 2023 production of 'Steel Magnolias', bringing the house down with her authentic (and realistic) character. Delivering iconic one-liners like: 'I'm not crazy, I've just been in a bad mood for 40 years' came naturally for Nancy. In 2009 Nancy married Sheldon Epstein, who filled her with encouragement and support. She relished the chance to join him in following his alma mater, the University of Michigan, in all sports. They traveled frequently to Ann Arbor to attend football games in person. She cheered fervently for her hometown Cleveland Cavaliers and Indians and added the Arizona Diamondbacks to her list of beloved sports teams. She was inspired by LeBron James' commitment to his local community and endeavored to do the same. Nancy is preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband, Sheldon; daughter, Robin (Will Killgallon); brother, Richard Wilson (Mollie); and sister, Sally Wakeland. A Celebration of Life Service will be held Sunday, July 30, 2023 at Congregation Beth Israel, 10460 North 56th Street, Paradise Valley, Arizona at 4 p.m. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, the family request that a donation be made to the organization Nancy was most passionate about, the Don Bluth Front Row Theater, where she served as a board member and actress. It is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit organization (Federal Tax ID #46-1585071). Gifts are tax-deductible. Donations can be made online at https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?donation=bluth or go to www.donbluthfrontrowtheatre.com and click on 'Donation' then under 'Please direct my donation to:' select the option 'In Memory of Nancy Rossman'. Gifts by check can be sent to Don Bluth Front Row Theatre, 8989 E. Via Linda, Ste. 118, Scottsdale, AZ 85258 or call 480-314-0841.