Nancy H. Phillips

Nancy H. Phillips, née Curtis, late of Allentown, Pennsylvania, passed away surrounded by family at her nursing home on December 18, 2022, following a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Nancy was born on August 13, 1944, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Kutztown University and taught in the Allentown School District for 35 years at both Wilson Elementary School and Washington Elementary School. When she retired from the district in 1999, she went on to work for 4H at the Penn State Extension, where she taught classes all over the valley about the embryology of chicks and the water cycle. After leaving 4H, Nancy worked for 9 years at L.L. Bean in Saucon Valley. A dedicated educator and teacher all her life, Nancy took immense pride in her teaching career, and even won the Who’s Who in Education Award in 1993-1994. She also had a degree in teaching students who were blind or visually impaired. Nancy’s students were very important to her, and she loved to set up her classroom for the new school year at the end of each summer. Nancy married Theodore “Ted” Phillips, also known as Terry in 1969 and they were together until her passing. She had one daughter, Terri, and one granddaughter, Krystine, who were the lights of her life. A loving mother, wife, and grandmother, Nancy was also a cherished friend. Known for her creativity, she had many hobbies ranging from cross stitch and needlepoint to reading to baking beautiful cookies and cakes for holidays and birthdays. Nancy treasured spending time with family and friends, vacations taken at the shore, and entering her craft projects into the Allentown Fair. Walks and time spent with her granddaughter were among some of her favorite pastimes, as well as hot summer days spent lounging by the pool. Nancy was passionate and talented, always ready to help out, and with a reputation for good luck. She will be deeply missed by all who knew her. Nancy is survived by her husband, Theodore Phillips; her daughter, Terri (Sean) Powell; her granddaughter, Krystine Powell; her sister-in-law, Pat (Dr. John) Ziegler; her nieces, Pamela (Scott Opitz) Ziegler, and Susan Heidelberg; and her cousins, Linda (Howard) Eggerstorfer and Barbara Hawk. Nancy was preceded in death by her mother, Eudora Curtis, née Hale; her father, Luther Curtis; brother, Thomas Frank Curtis; and aunt, Jean (John) Reagan. Calling hours for Nancy at J.S. Burkholder’s Funeral Home will be held on Tuesday, December 27, from 6:30 to 8:00, and Wednesday, December 28, from 9:30 to 10:30. A service at the funeral home will be held on Wednesday, December 28 at 10:30, with the burial to follow at Grandview Cemetery. Donations can be made in Nancy’s memory to the American Cancer Society.