Nan died peacefully at home of colon cancer on August 28, 2012 at the age of 90.

She was born in Chicago, IL on June 9, 1922. Growing up in Seattle, she graduated from Roosevelt H.S. and attended the University of Washington. She married Harry Winfield Shaffer in 1942.

After they divorced, Nan married Sayed Z. El-Sayed in 1960, an Oceanography Professor at Texas A & M University. They lived in Texas for 36 years. Nan graduated with a degree in Geography from Texas A & M. She was known as an activist for ACLU and League of Women Voters.

At age 61, she became the Thesis Clerk for Texas A & M Univ., setting standards for the dissertations and theses of Graduate Students until she retired at 71.

They relocated to Whidbey Island in 1997, building their home near Langley. Here she supported WICA, Good Cheer, Bayview Peace Watch, Friends of Friends, and Whidbey Camano Land Trust. She was member of Ladies of the Beach and completed walking the circumference of Whidbey when 80 yrs. old.

Nan was preceded in death by Sayed. She is survived by her four children: Christi Shaffer of Langley, Jana Lamboy (Warren) of Geneva, NY; Eric Shaffer (Susan) of Eugene, OR; and Samir El-Sayed (Sandy) of Alice Springs, Australia.

There are also 7 grandchildren and 4 great-grand children.

Nan had so many stories to tell.