We often ask new St. Mark members to share about themselves so the congregation can get to know them better. Jim and Nancy J joined St. Mark in October 2021 and they graciously provided the following.
Jim, a retired teacher, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, where he attended church as a child. His parents are deceased, as is his brother. His sister lives in an assisted living facility in the Los Angeles area. He has a nephew and niece who also live in that area. His hobbies are running and doing physical workouts, reading, writing, crossword puzzles, watching movies occasionally on Netflix or Hulu. He speaks French, as Jim and Nancy lived in the Touraine region of France for approximately 4.5 years.
Nancy was born in Dallas, Texas and grew up in Mesquite, Texas. She attended church as a child and has continued to attend churches of various denominations throughout her life.
Nancy’s parents are deceased, as are a sister and brother. She has one sister living in Napa, California. Nancy is also a retired teacher, having owned and run 2 Kumon Math and Reading Centers in the San Francisco Bay Area, prior to retirement. She is fluent in French, having lived in the Marseilles area of France for many years, teaching English in different companies and corporate entities.
Jim and Nancy have 2 daughters, 2 granddaughters and 1 grandson. One daughter and family live in Lacey. The other daughter and family currently live in the San Francisco Bay Area, but “they recently bought a home in Gig Harbor and will be moving there in the spring. We are obviously thrilled to have them so close”.
Nancy’s hobbies are reading, word puzzles, watching movies occasionally, cooking, and music. She has a piano but says she unfortunately doesn’t play it much anymore. Nancy enjoys being a part of Leah’s Praise Ring handbell choir at St. Mark, although she adds “generally I am nervous when we perform on Sundays!”
Both Jim and Nancy enjoy cruise vacations when finances permit, and used to enjoy camping weekends, but have not done that since they left the Bay Area in 2015. Nancy had knee replacement surgery in Olympia in July of 2021, and she says, “It is possible that I can now get in and out of a tent to camp again, who knows?!”
After living in Petaluma, California, Jim and Nancy moved to Nampa, Idaho, where they very much enjoyed their church there. In March 2020, they moved to Lacey where their daughter and family were living since 2019. The couple added, “It was just in time for us to be stuck at home during a pandemic!”
Nancy and Jim feel the congregation at St. Mark is very open and friendly. “We also like the emphasis on social justice. The music is very inspiring, as well, with Terry, Benjamin, Pastor Eric, and others bringing their musical talents to enhance our worship experience. We always appreciate Pastor Eric and Pastor Beth’s sermons, too.”
Now that you know Jim and Nancy a bit better, you can greet these folks with a rousing “Bonjour comment vas-tu?”!