Obituary of Nancy Joy Fitch

Nancy Joy Babcock Fitch (October 4, 1927, Riverside, California) died at home in Oracle, October 25, 2015. Nancy has been described as "a wonderful, determined and thoroughly interesting person." In high school, intrigued with architectural design, she enrolled in a draftsman class. She was told that, as a woman, the highest grade she could receive would be a "C". Despite that grade, she was the top recommended student for summer employment at a local firm experiencing loss of skilled draftsmen to WWII. Skipping the final year of high school she set off by train at the age of 16 to enroll in the University of Chicago. She graduated in 1947. Nancy married Walter S. Fitch (d. 2013), another UC graduate (BA 1948, PhD 1955). She became a resident of Tucson in 1951 when Fitch joined the University's Astronomy Department. Nancy did little public architecture but spent a lifetime as a creator of space for her family and others. All the residences of Nancy and Walter were lovingly redesigned with extravagant attention to detail and artisanship resulting in wonderful physical places in tune with their environment. Those homes were frequently decorated with her own artwork. Nancy gave just as much attention to creating emotional space from which each of her children could venture to explore beauty, structure, and travel the world. It is due to Nancy that the family became avid backpackers of the S. Az. Mountains. In Tucson, Nancy was variously employed as a homemaker, modern dance instructor, and draftsman. In the 1970s she owned and operated a small plastics products business. Stubbornly overcoming a tremendous fear of water she became an enthusiastic sailor. She was a member of the Tucson Sailing Club as well as a women's club, Entre Nous, and the American Association of University Women. In Oracle she was a book club member and served on the community boards of the Oracle Library and Biosphere 2. As recently as six months ago she was musing over what she wanted to be when she "grew up". Preceded in death by her husband, Walter; sisters, Beth MacIlvaine and Margaret Heers, and son-in-law, Gene Houghton. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Selena Fitch Billington and Jim Dewey, Stuart Tod and Leslie Fitch, Alanah Fitch and Al B. Benson, III, and Sandra E. Houghton and her grandchildren: architect, Erika Fitch-Benson and Adam Babcock-Fitch Benson. Her quiet empathy resulted in an extended and loving circle of Oracle friends including Dolores Armstrong, Desiree Sanchez, Guadalupe Altamirano and Amanda Jacquez and their families who grieve her passing. Contributions to her charity of choice , the Tri-Community Food Bank, 108 W. Redwood Drive, Mammoth, AZ, 85618, would be appreciated. Arrangements by ADAIR FUNERAL HOMES, Avalon Chapel.