Nancy Voorhees Harvey

Nancy Voorhees Harvey passed away in Johnston, IA on Christmas Day, 2025. A Wonderful Mom, Grandma, and Aunt-and a terrific school teacher to boot. Nancy was born February 20,1928 in St. Joseph, MO and was raised there until moving to Des Moines in 1938, where she attended Roosevelt Junior and Senior High, graduating in 1945, and then graduated from Drake University, majoring in Elementary Education. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority while at Drake. Nancy proudly, firmly, and lovingly taught in the Des Moines Public Schools until June 1988, most recently at Hanawalt Elementary School.

Nancy met John (Jack) Harvey while she was at Roosevelt and he at Dowling High School. They married In 1950 and had five sons from 1951-56. She is survived by four sons John (Victoria Long) of Johnston, IA; Michael of Des Moines, IA; Brien (Jenann Ismael) of Tucson, AZ/Baltimore, MD; and David (Linda) in Oregon; nine grandchildren; 14 great grandchildren; 1 great great grandchild; sister-in-law Diana Harvey of Marlton, NJ; and numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and great nephews. She was preceded in death by husband Jack; son Jeffrey, her parents-Bertram and Adeline; brother Bertram (BG) Voorhees; sister, Suzanne Peake; sisters-in-law Sally Gordinier & Mary Cele Marshall, and brother-in law, William Harvey; longtime friend Jack Chaffee, plus many, many longtime friends.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held for Nancy, who elected cremation, on Saturday, May 16 @ 10:30am at St. Theresa Catholic Church (University Avenue and Merle Hay Road in Des Moines, IA, of which Nancy and husband Jack were charter members), with a pre-mass gathering at St Theresa starting at 9:45am, burial after at Glendale Cemetery, and a reception to follow.