Dorothy Nan Fife

Nan Fife was born in Bingham Canyon, Utah to Ruth Brinton Spencer and Lawrence Pomeroy Spencer. She graduated from East High School in Salt Lake City and had two years of college before meeting and marrying Thomas P. Fife in 1950. Tom was a WWII veteran pilot and a newly minted mining engineer from Idaho and with Tom, Nan became a homemaker and a loving and devoted wife and mother.

Together, they had two sons, Keith and Timothy, and moved to Grants, NM where the uranium mining industry was booming. The family spent 20 years in Grants before moving to Denver, CO and then Sandia, TX, still in search of riches. During this time, Tom developed Parkinson’s disease and had to reluctantly retire his dream.

With the boys now established at Los Alamos National Laboratory, Nan decided in 1986 to move to Los Alamos to bring the family closer. Here, she worked for the High School and found the United Church. Tom passed away in 1991 and after 10 years with the Los Alamos Public School system, Nan retired in 1996 to devote herself to the White Rock Senior Center and the United Church and its many pursuits.

Nan loved and was devoted to being of service to God, and through the United Church, she found many like-minded friends and participated deeply in their activities. She taught Sunday School and Vacation Bible School, participated in several Mexico Mission Trips, was active in the Stephen Ministry Program, helped with Sombrillo Church Services for many years, and was dedicated to working with children - especially children with special needs. She experienced the Walk to Emmaus and for several years participated and was spiritually refreshed by its principles. During this time, Nan also committed one year of service to the Prison Ministry Program where she worked with inmates at the women’s prison in Grants, NM.

In 2014, Nan moved to Aspen Ridge Retirement Community where she spent the last 5 years of her life making new friends and sharing herself. She always had a smile and a kind greeting for you; while there was no diagnosis of her illness, she was comfortable throughout the entire time. For the last days of her life, she was calm and at peace, already having made her plans and ready to accept her future. She passed quietly into the hands of God on January 20, 2020.

She is survived by her son Timothy, his wife Judith and their son Evan; her son Keith, his wife Laura, daughters Jessica and Julie and sons Brady and Parker; great-grandchildren Maeve, Quewen and Tony; adopted daughters Pamela Fife and Peggy Phillips; Peggy’s children Robert, Thomas, Kurt Phillips and Marissa Phillips Hayes; as well as many, many friends and extended family.

A service for Nan will be held at the United Church of Los Alamos, 2525 Canyon Rd, at 10:30AM on Friday, February 14, 2020. Cremation services and video elements will be provided by Rivera Funerals & Cremations of Los Alamos. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity of your choice.