Nancy Jane Clark McDonald, 78, beloved wife, mother and educator, passed away on February 6, 2022 due to breast cancer. Born on February 9, 1943 at the Pocatello General Hospital in Pocatello, Idaho to Melvin and Margary Clark, Nancy spent her childhood at 340 South 8th Avenue and 426 West Carson Street in "Pokey." She attended Washington and Lincoln elementary schools, Irving Junior High School, and Pocatello High School, where she graduated in May 1961. During her schooling she participated in 4-H, Girls Council, Pep Club, and LDS Seminary. In her senior year, she received the Better Crocker Homemaker of the Year Award, a national honor. She enrolled at Idaho State University where she participated in Lambda Delta Sigma and graduated from the ISU LDS Institute in May 1965 and from the university with a BA in Elementary Education in June 1967. From an early age Nancy held a natural rapport with children and knew she wanted to become an elementary school teacher. She began teaching at Hawthorne Elementary in Pocatello and when her family moved to Nampa in 1968, she taught at Lincoln Elementary. In 1973 she began teaching at the Initiative Kindergarten, an educational institution she eventually acquired and ran until the summer of 2009. For over 35 years, the Initiative Learning Center (ILC), as it became known, encouraged in their students a love of reading and learning, along with the development of critical thinking skills and personal responsibility in the hundreds of pre-school through sixth grade students who enrolled. Beloved by her students and their parents, Nancy developed hands-on curriculum, staged elaborate school-wide productions, took informative field trips, all while remaining focused on her student's individual needs. During the summers of her teaching career she could be found instructing migrant students in home economics courses, tutoring those with special needs, and running the ILC summer program. The ILC family was one of Nancy's greatest joys where she cherished her students and fellow teachers, including Marilyn Nelson with whom she partnered with for over 25 years. She met her future husband James Brent McDonald while attending Idaho State University and they wed on June 26, 1965 in the Idaho Falls LDS Temple. Together, they raised their six children in Nampa at their home on 11th Avenue. Nancy loved to make birthdays and holidays memorable for her children. Supportive of their interests and hobbies, she enrolled them in numerous activities including music and dance lessons, summer reading programs and day camps, 4-H, little league, and the Boy Scouts. An archivist at heart, she kept photographs, mementos, and copies of academic accomplishments in large scrapbooks for each of her children, the contents of which became focal points for shared memories and stories at family gatherings in later years. Nancy's thoughtful and resourceful nature meant her kids never went without. With numerous responsibilities competing for her time and attention, she endeavored to make her one-on-one time with her children special. Family meant everything to Nancy, and through her life she prioritized maintaining close relationships with her sister Judy, brothers Bob and Dale, and extended family wherever they lived. She packed up her family every summer to visit her parents and siblings in Northern California. The family took additional trips around the intermountain west, often camping as they enjoyed national parks and monuments. She helped to plan and organize two large family reunions, the 1987 William Howells Family gathering in Truckee, CA and the 2007 Melvin Clark Family reunion in Nampa. Nancy cared for her parents in their later years after they came to reside in the home at the back of the family property. She loved spending time with her grandchildren, keeping in touch with her numerous nieces and nephews, lending a listening ear, and serving as host for family gatherings, weddings, and other special occasions. During her retirement she enjoyed taking trips with her children to Las Vegas, Nevada; Lake Tahoe, California; Redfish Lake, Idaho; Paris, France; Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; and Santa Cruz, California. Nancy exemplified a quiet discipleship in her daily faith and was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She supported numerous charitable organizations in the Treasure Valley, volunteering her time and talents. She served her Latter-day Saint brothers and sisters diligently in numerous capacities as well. She loved her calling as Ward and Stake Cultural Arts Director planning and directing multiple road shows and celebratory events, including A Blue Ribbon Affair in 1988, the Nampa Stake's 50th Anniversary in 1989, the LDS Dance Festival Celebrating Idaho's Centennial in 1990, Faith in Every Footstep in 1997, Zion in 2005, and Celebrating Our Heritage in 2006. An avid supporter of the scouting program she volunteered as a Den Mother and Pack Leader for Pack 113, and helped organize Cub Scout Day Camps with the Bigfoot and Centennial districts of the Ore-Ida Council, for which she was honored with the Bigfoot District Award of Merit in 1986. Other callings included serving on the Nampa Stake Primary Board and the 11th Ward Young Women's Presidency. A lifelong reader, Nancy always had her nose in a book or magazine. She passed her love of public libraries along to her children and grandchildren. She enjoyed playing Rummikub and solitaire, a game she learned from her Grandmother Foreman. She had beautiful penmanship; loved to classify, organize, and decorate; enjoyed BBC television dramas and the Olympics; and satiated her sweet tooth with Andes Mints and Almond Roca. After retiring from teaching, she enjoyed spending time on her patio tending her garden of red, white, and blue flowers. Nancy cherished the Christmas holiday, both for its celebration of the Christ-child as well as its spirit of gift-giving - her home during the holiday reflected these ideals. She consistently opened her home to those in need of nourishment, in pursuit of lifelong dreams, and in search of love and acceptance. Nancy is survived by her six children: Shelley Thomas (Shannon) of Nampa; Stacy Hamilton (Troy) of Boise; Dylan McDonald (Nora Brown) of Las Cruces, NM; Cade McDonald of Koosharem, UT; Brady McDonald (Mindy) of Koosharem, UT; and Maren Luekenga (T.J.) of Hurricane, UT; 16 grandchildren; her siblings: Robert Clark (Virginia) of San Jose, CA; Judy Bull (Michael) of St. George, UT; and Dale Clark (Vicky) of San Jose, CA; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Brent McDonald and her parents Melvin and Margary Clark. Nancy's family would like to thank Dr. Andrew S. Pierson, the physician assistants, and nurses at St. Alphonsus Medical Center; and Michelle Behrens, RN, and the team at First Choice Home Health & Hospice for their loving care during her nine-year fight against breast cancer. Per Nancy's wishes, a graveside service for family and close friends will be held on Saturday, February 19th at 2:00 p.m. at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens (15862 Indiana Ave, Caldwell, Idaho). A community celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, June 18th at 10:00 a.m. at the Nampa Civic Center - Calliope Garden (311 3rd Street South, Nampa, Idaho). Please save the date. The family requests that in lieu of flowers a donation in Nancy's name be made to the Nampa Public Library Foundation to support the library's new bookmobile. Donations can be mailed to the Nampa Public Library Foundation (215 12th Ave So, Nampa, ID 83651), dropped off to the library during open hours, or submitted at https://nampa-public-library-foundation-inc.square.site. Please note "In memory of Nancy McDonald" with your donation.
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