Nancy Lou Oshier (nee Westcott), age 74, of Bozeman, beloved wife, best friend, partner in life, adventurer, and soul mate for 52 years of Michael Oshier passed away on July 15, 2022, under the care of her devoted husband, Enhabit Hospice and Qualicare MT after a long and difficult battle with a rare neurological disease.
Nancy was born June 17, 1948, in Massena, NY to the late Audrey Reynolds Westcott and William Westcott, the youngest of three girls. She grew up in Massena and Waddington, NY but her education and employment took her to Brockport NY, Rochester NY area, Alpharetta, GA and finally retiring with her husband to Montana where they have lived in Big Sky, Columbia Falls and Bozeman but have developed close friendships with families from all corners of the state, especially in southeastern, MT and Paradise Valley.
She was predeceased by her parents and a sister, Mary Westcott McGregor Oshawa, Ontario, CND.
She is survived by her husband, Michael; sister, Margret Lyon (Rick) of Ridgeway CO; brother-in-law, Cameron McGregor of Oshawa, Ontario CND along with nieces, Megan McGregor of Toronto, CND and Christena McGregor of Oshawa, Ontario CND; nephew, Charles Cosse of Las Vegas, NV and niece, Laura Cosse of Las Vegas NV.
She attended primary and secondary schools in Massena and Madrid-Waddington, NY; Colleges including SUNY Binghamton, Rochester Institute of Technology, Princeton University School of Engineering and Applied science, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, SUNY Brockport where she completed both her BA and MA in Mathematics and The University of Rochester’s Simon School of Business Executive Development Program where she earned her MBA.
Her professional work career was intertwined with her post bachelorette education. She began her employment as a Computer Programmer/Statistician at SUNY College at Brockport moving onto Senior Mathematician for Xerox Corporation, Advanced Business Concepts Consulting firm as Manager of Business Intelligence Support and ending her career at Eastman Kodak Company as Manager Consumer Imaging & Business Research until her retirement in June 1998.
Possessing a zest for the outdoors, adventure and athletics her interests included competitive running, fly fishing, hunting, canoeing, camping, hiking along with back country and cross-country skiing. Some of her most cherished adventures included several Smith River floats, a ten-day self-guided fly-fishing float trip down the Goodnews River in Alaska with friends, an expedition to Churchill Manitoba to observe polar bears, multiday fly fishing trips down the Middle Fork of the Flathead River and a month long road camping trip to Alaska with friends. She also enjoyed the solitude and pristine nature of cross-country skiing in the northwest corner of Yellowstone National Park. Early in life her outdoor enjoyment came from spending summer vacations at the rustic Oshier/Ricci family cottages on Chandos Lake in Ontario Canada.
In addition to her professional work career Nancy was also, for a short time, a professional runner. She began running at the age of 38 and soon unlocked a hidden talent. Over the next few years as a master runner (age 40 and older), she steadily improved until she ascended to become one of the elite master runners in the world competing in track and long-distance events throughout the country and in three foreign nations. Two of her most satisfying running accomplishments were qualifying for the US Olympic marathon trials in 1992 and winning the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York City for master women twice. Her running career also led to several awards. In 1990 she won the Rochester Press-Radio Club & WVOR-FM100, AT-LARGE SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR, in 1992 SY MAH Memorial Award for Excellence in Running along with Induction into the Greater Rochester Track Club Hall of Fame.
In retirement much of her volunteer work involved the outdoors. Other than her indoor work serving on the Big Sky Community Library Board outdoor volunteer work included weekends at the former Yellowstone Institute at the Buffalo Ranch in Yellowstone National Park, Trout Unlimited and the Glacier National Park Volunteer Associates (GNPVA) where she served on the Board of Directors along with participating in many volunteer projects in Glacier National Park.
Donations in her name can be made to Team Gleason Foundation, PO Box 24493, New Orleans, LA 70184.
As per her wishes there will be no funeral services or calling hours.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com
Published by Bozeman Daily Chronicle on Jul. 21, 2022.
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