Nancy Carolyn Ware
Obituary
Nancy Carolyn Ware, 82, passed away on March 28th at Verdugo Hills Hospital in Glendale, California. Born in Montana and raised primarily in Tucson, Arizona, Nancy eventually married fellow Claremont Colleges student James Ware, and together they made their home in Southern California. She was a passionate scholar, poet, naturalist, mother, and grandmother.
Nancy brought her deep love of classical literature and the humanities into her professional life. For over 30 years, she taught at Cal Poly, Pomona, where she was instrumental in the development of the Interdisciplinary General Education (IGE) Program. Founded in 1983, IGE is one of the longest-running university general education programs in California, offering students an integrated approach to exploring literature, the humanities, social sciences, and the arts.
In addition to her academic work, Nancy was a gifted poet and active member of the vibrant Claremont poetry community. Along with her longtime partner, poet Robert Mezey, and her cherished writer’s group—which met faithfully over several decades—Nancy nurtured a lifelong love of language and artistic expression. The natural world—birds, insects, trees, and canines—were recurring presences in both her life and her poetry.
After surviving a cerebral aneurysm in 2011, Nancy found healing and community as a participant in Lineage Performing Arts Center’s Dance for Joy program, blending her love of dance with resilience and grace. She continued to participate in weekly classes through 2024.
She is survived by her son, Jason Ware; her daughter, Rachel Ware Zooi; and her four adored grandsons. Her warmth, intellect, and quiet strength will be deeply missed by all who knew her.
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September 20, 2025
Nancy was a professor of mine in the IGE program at Cal Poly from 1996 to 1997. At the time, I had recently arrived in the U.S., and she helped me feel welcome in a new country and school. Today, nearly 30 years later, I am a professor of Biology, and I still carry with me many of the lessons I learned in the IGE program from Nancy and her colleagues. In fact, I found this page because I was thinking of her and decided to search her name to learn about her whereabouts. In addition to what I gained from her instruction, she helped me feel that I belonged at a time when I really needed it. I will never forget her and will always be grateful.
July 20, 2025
RIP, Nancy. I’m sorry we couldn’t connect during your last few years on earth. I always enjoyed your birthday gifts and your laugh when I was clowning. I thought of you the last two years (2024, 25) when I had lunch with some other EFL CPP friends on the MLK holiday. That was our regular lunch date for several years.
May 30, 2025
Even though I was able to attend the celebration of life and spoke there, I would like to share some of those comments here because Nancy is so special to me.
I know Nancy primarily as my colleague, mentor, and great friend in the Interdisciplinary General Education Program (IGE) at Cal Poly Pomona, from 1993 until the aneurysm hastened her retirement in 2011, and afterward in Pasadena, and then eventually at Monte Cedro.
I had the great good fortune to team-teach my very first IGE course, in 1993, with Nancy. I tend to think of it as karma. Almost immediately she became my mentor. Nancy was an extraordinary mentor. In the years following, she became a deep mentor to me in many ways, beyond teaching and IGE, though she may not have known that.
Nancy had such deep strength, such quiet courage, such extraordinary wisdom, and such remarkable resilience. I continued learning from all that throughout our time together in IGE, and as she recovered from the aneurysm, determined to live on her own again. That one course we taught together in 1993 eventually developed into my career, thanks largely to Nancy, both for inspiring me to teach in IGE and for creating the space for me to do so. Her generosity of spirit, sensitive teaching, wise mentoring, and unwavering commitment to general education will be dearly remembered.
I know Nancy primarily as my colleague, mentor, and great friend in the Interdisciplinary General Education Program (IGE) at Cal Poly Pomona, from 1993 until the aneurysm hastened her retirement in 2011, and afterward in Pasadena, and then eventually at Monte Cedro.
I had the great good fortune to team-teach my very first IGE course, in 1993, with Nancy. I tend to think of it as karma. Almost immediately she became my mentor. Nancy was an extraordinary mentor. In the years following, she became a deep mentor to me in many ways, beyond teaching and IGE, though she may not have known that.
Nancy had such deep strength, such quiet courage, such extraordinary wisdom, and such remarkable resilience. I continued learning from all that throughout our time together in IGE, and as she recovered from the aneurysm, determined to live on her own again. That one course we taught together in 1993 eventually developed into my career, thanks largely to Nancy, both for inspiring me to teach in IGE and for creating the space for me to do so. Her generosity of spirit, sensitive teaching, wise mentoring, and unwavering commitment to general education will be dearly remembered.
May 18, 2025
I met Nancy in1976, at a poetry reading in the living room of her wonderful 10th street house. I was struck by her face, a strong face—I’m bad about remembering faces, but hers I remembered, and, when we re-met years later, through Frances McConnell, I came to see that it was not just bone structure or physiognomy, but character.. The three of us started having dinner together, and I got to know a very special person.
In 1992 I moved out of Claremont and started commuting from northern California. I’d sold my house, and was sleeping in my office for a year before I got kicked out, after which it was catch as catch can, staying with whoever had a spare bed. At some desperate point, I asked Nancy if she could put me up. She had only the small room she used as a study, the upstairs was rented. I assured her I‘d be around only two nights and leave not a trace, and the room would be hers the rest of the week.
It worked. Sometimes I’d come in while she was still up, or she’d come home from teaching before I left for class, and we’d chat. I was staying there the months my mother and aunt were dying, and she was so reassuring; it was comforting, just knowing she was sleeping in the next room. When you live in a person’s space you get an up-close sense of them, their sense of beauty, arrangement; and that house had a calming spirit, Nancy’s spirit; I felt so at home there. When December came, she’d put up a Christmas tree, and I’d sit in that living room with the tree lights on, grading finals. I got particularly attached to her little black dog Rufus, who for some reason still turns up in my dreams.
Then she moved to Altadena and rented the downstairs, and I was drifting around peoples’ back rooms again, when suddenly—I hadn’t even asked her—she told me her upstairs had come vacant. Truly, that saved a life, prolonged the years I was able to teach at Scripps, and she knew it and that’s why she did it; she rescued me, I could not have gone on without a place to live. I loved that slope-roofed space with the trees and the mountains to look at, wished she’d been still living downstairs, but we managed to stay in touch— Frances would drive us to Altadena and the three of us would have dinner. Then came Nancy’s terrifying brain aneurism, but awhile after that we found a way to continue our dinners. Sometimes she’d get a driver to bring her out to Claremont and we’d meet at Walter’s.
Then I retired and moved north permanently. And she wasn't into Facebook and wasn’t much for email, so we lost touch.
She gave me two things as she was moving to Altadena, a green elephant plant holder, which sits on my back deck in Mendocino, and a sort of impressionistic painting of a mountain, in pink and blue and tan earth tones, with a suggestion of snow on top and desert vegetation in the foreground. She couldn’t remember where she’d got it or who painted it, but it reminded her of Mt Baldy; it reminded me of Mt Baldy, too, and she saw I liked it and wanted me to have it. It now hangs in my bedroom, the first thing I see when I open my eyes each day. I look at that mountain and remember we saw in it the same thing, some kind of beauty in a place we both loved and were sad to leave. And my heart is full of thanks that she was in my life; and she’s somehow still with me. She sweetened my years in Claremont, not all of which were so easy, but were so much better thanks to her strong, wise, reassuring presence. I loved her spirit, her generosity, her humor, her dogs. her sensitivity to poetry, beauty, ecology. I loved how she cared—about her classes, her friends, and about you, Rachel.
She was so proud of you and Jason and her grandchildren—I heard so much about you all. I know how hard it is to lose a mom, especially a good mom. My mom has been gone 28 years May 20, 1997, and I still miss her terribly. I guess we should count ourselves lucky to have moms we’ll miss forever, though it hurts so much to lose them.
I put up some photos of us at the fair on her memory board—sorry they’re so blurry and badly angled, but those were happy days; we went every year, or nearly, she and Frances and I. Those were good times.
In 1992 I moved out of Claremont and started commuting from northern California. I’d sold my house, and was sleeping in my office for a year before I got kicked out, after which it was catch as catch can, staying with whoever had a spare bed. At some desperate point, I asked Nancy if she could put me up. She had only the small room she used as a study, the upstairs was rented. I assured her I‘d be around only two nights and leave not a trace, and the room would be hers the rest of the week.
It worked. Sometimes I’d come in while she was still up, or she’d come home from teaching before I left for class, and we’d chat. I was staying there the months my mother and aunt were dying, and she was so reassuring; it was comforting, just knowing she was sleeping in the next room. When you live in a person’s space you get an up-close sense of them, their sense of beauty, arrangement; and that house had a calming spirit, Nancy’s spirit; I felt so at home there. When December came, she’d put up a Christmas tree, and I’d sit in that living room with the tree lights on, grading finals. I got particularly attached to her little black dog Rufus, who for some reason still turns up in my dreams.
Then she moved to Altadena and rented the downstairs, and I was drifting around peoples’ back rooms again, when suddenly—I hadn’t even asked her—she told me her upstairs had come vacant. Truly, that saved a life, prolonged the years I was able to teach at Scripps, and she knew it and that’s why she did it; she rescued me, I could not have gone on without a place to live. I loved that slope-roofed space with the trees and the mountains to look at, wished she’d been still living downstairs, but we managed to stay in touch— Frances would drive us to Altadena and the three of us would have dinner. Then came Nancy’s terrifying brain aneurism, but awhile after that we found a way to continue our dinners. Sometimes she’d get a driver to bring her out to Claremont and we’d meet at Walter’s.
Then I retired and moved north permanently. And she wasn't into Facebook and wasn’t much for email, so we lost touch.
She gave me two things as she was moving to Altadena, a green elephant plant holder, which sits on my back deck in Mendocino, and a sort of impressionistic painting of a mountain, in pink and blue and tan earth tones, with a suggestion of snow on top and desert vegetation in the foreground. She couldn’t remember where she’d got it or who painted it, but it reminded her of Mt Baldy; it reminded me of Mt Baldy, too, and she saw I liked it and wanted me to have it. It now hangs in my bedroom, the first thing I see when I open my eyes each day. I look at that mountain and remember we saw in it the same thing, some kind of beauty in a place we both loved and were sad to leave. And my heart is full of thanks that she was in my life; and she’s somehow still with me. She sweetened my years in Claremont, not all of which were so easy, but were so much better thanks to her strong, wise, reassuring presence. I loved her spirit, her generosity, her humor, her dogs. her sensitivity to poetry, beauty, ecology. I loved how she cared—about her classes, her friends, and about you, Rachel.
She was so proud of you and Jason and her grandchildren—I heard so much about you all. I know how hard it is to lose a mom, especially a good mom. My mom has been gone 28 years May 20, 1997, and I still miss her terribly. I guess we should count ourselves lucky to have moms we’ll miss forever, though it hurts so much to lose them.
I put up some photos of us at the fair on her memory board—sorry they’re so blurry and badly angled, but those were happy days; we went every year, or nearly, she and Frances and I. Those were good times.
May 18, 2025
Dear Jason and Rachel,
We're so sorry to hear about your Mom's passing. I have fond memories of working with her in the IGE program at Cal Poly! I had the great pleasure of team-teaching a number of different IGE classes with her, and always loved her warm sense of humor along with the subject matter! She also put in a lot of time and effort on the admin side to help it all run smoothly behind the scenes - never an easy task juggling "cat herding" (aka faculty) and interfacing with staff, all at the same time!
A brief example:
Nancy partnered with our colleague, David Levering, to do the SCHEDULING for these IGE classes. And of course, there had to be a first meeting to figure it all out. Typical faculty meetings aren't usually something we eagerly look forward to. It's hard enough to schedule ONE teacher per class, let alone TWO, to coherently team-teach the SAME class, on the same subject, from TWO different academic perspectives. (say, Lit + Philosophy = "Western Thought".) So this was a "next-level" challenge, with lots of different personalities involved! But somehow, incredibly, Nancy and David made this task (that we were dreading) THE most fun and even hilarious experience for everyone there! I've never laughed so much at a faculty meeting before or since! That was her magic.
In more recent times, several of us retired faculty met for an "Old Boys" lunch at the Nepal restaurant in Pasadena, after Nancy's first stroke, where I had a chance to learn more about her poetry, nature, and dance passions. And it was such a delightful surprise to run into Jason and Nancy at one of the Pasadena chalk festivals!
Her spirit is so well-woven into so many of the things that we too are passionate about - the arts, poetry, nature, lifelong learning, music, and the vibrant multicultural influences running through all of them, and through all of us! Nancy is with us everywhere, and always will be!
Much love to you and warmest wishes for the special gathering on Saturday!
Jim and Krista
We're so sorry to hear about your Mom's passing. I have fond memories of working with her in the IGE program at Cal Poly! I had the great pleasure of team-teaching a number of different IGE classes with her, and always loved her warm sense of humor along with the subject matter! She also put in a lot of time and effort on the admin side to help it all run smoothly behind the scenes - never an easy task juggling "cat herding" (aka faculty) and interfacing with staff, all at the same time!
A brief example:
Nancy partnered with our colleague, David Levering, to do the SCHEDULING for these IGE classes. And of course, there had to be a first meeting to figure it all out. Typical faculty meetings aren't usually something we eagerly look forward to. It's hard enough to schedule ONE teacher per class, let alone TWO, to coherently team-teach the SAME class, on the same subject, from TWO different academic perspectives. (say, Lit + Philosophy = "Western Thought".) So this was a "next-level" challenge, with lots of different personalities involved! But somehow, incredibly, Nancy and David made this task (that we were dreading) THE most fun and even hilarious experience for everyone there! I've never laughed so much at a faculty meeting before or since! That was her magic.
In more recent times, several of us retired faculty met for an "Old Boys" lunch at the Nepal restaurant in Pasadena, after Nancy's first stroke, where I had a chance to learn more about her poetry, nature, and dance passions. And it was such a delightful surprise to run into Jason and Nancy at one of the Pasadena chalk festivals!
Her spirit is so well-woven into so many of the things that we too are passionate about - the arts, poetry, nature, lifelong learning, music, and the vibrant multicultural influences running through all of them, and through all of us! Nancy is with us everywhere, and always will be!
Much love to you and warmest wishes for the special gathering on Saturday!
Jim and Krista
May 18, 2025
Dear Jason and Rachel,
We're so sorry to hear about your Mom's passing. I have fond memories of working with her in the IGE program at Cal Poly! I had the great pleasure of team-teaching a number of different IGE classes with her, and always loved her warm sense of humor along with the subject matter! She also put in a lot of time and effort on the admin side to help it all run smoothly behind the scenes - never an easy task juggling "cat herding" (aka faculty) and interfacing with staff, all at the same time!
A brief example:
Nancy partnered with our colleague, David Levering, to do the SCHEDULING for these IGE classes. And of course, there had to be a first meeting to figure it all out. Typical faculty meetings aren't usually something we eagerly look forward to. It's hard enough to schedule ONE teacher per class, let alone TWO, to coherently team-teach the SAME class, on the same subject, from TWO different academic perspectives. (say, Lit + Philosophy = "Western Thought".) So this was a "next-level" challenge, with lots of different personalities involved! But somehow, incredibly, Nancy and David made this task (that we were dreading) THE most fun and even hilarious experience for everyone there! I've never laughed so much at a faculty meeting before or since! That was her magic.
In more recent times, several of us retired faculty met for an "Old Boys" lunch at the Nepal restaurant in Pasadena, after Nancy's first stroke, where I had a chance to learn more about her poetry, nature, and dance passions. And it was such a delightful surprise to run into Jason and Nancy at one of the Pasadena chalk festivals!
Her spirit is so well-woven into so many of the things that we too are passionate about - the arts, poetry, nature, lifelong learning, music, and the vibrant multicultural influences running through all of them, and through all of us! Nancy is with us everywhere, and always will be!
Much love to you and warmest wishes for the special gathering on Saturday!
Jim and Krista
We're so sorry to hear about your Mom's passing. I have fond memories of working with her in the IGE program at Cal Poly! I had the great pleasure of team-teaching a number of different IGE classes with her, and always loved her warm sense of humor along with the subject matter! She also put in a lot of time and effort on the admin side to help it all run smoothly behind the scenes - never an easy task juggling "cat herding" (aka faculty) and interfacing with staff, all at the same time!
A brief example:
Nancy partnered with our colleague, David Levering, to do the SCHEDULING for these IGE classes. And of course, there had to be a first meeting to figure it all out. Typical faculty meetings aren't usually something we eagerly look forward to. It's hard enough to schedule ONE teacher per class, let alone TWO, to coherently team-teach the SAME class, on the same subject, from TWO different academic perspectives. (say, Lit + Philosophy = "Western Thought".) So this was a "next-level" challenge, with lots of different personalities involved! But somehow, incredibly, Nancy and David made this task (that we were dreading) THE most fun and even hilarious experience for everyone there! I've never laughed so much at a faculty meeting before or since! That was her magic.
In more recent times, several of us retired faculty met for an "Old Boys" lunch at the Nepal restaurant in Pasadena, after Nancy's first stroke, where I had a chance to learn more about her poetry, nature, and dance passions. And it was such a delightful surprise to run into Jason and Nancy at one of the Pasadena chalk festivals!
Her spirit is so well-woven into so many of the things that we too are passionate about - the arts, poetry, nature, lifelong learning, music, and the vibrant multicultural influences running through all of them, and through all of us! Nancy is with us everywhere, and always will be!
Much love to you and warmest wishes for the special gathering on Saturday!
Jim and Krista
May 11, 2025
I am a person with Young onset Parkinson disease and am one of three founding dancers .. I had the pleasure of welcoming her into the tribe..She was
A lot of fun and amazing actor and dancer.?Nancy you will be missed,.you left a legacy to all the people with neurological issues..Thank you my reins.
Praying for family that they will find peace.
A lot of fun and amazing actor and dancer.?Nancy you will be missed,.you left a legacy to all the people with neurological issues..Thank you my reins.
Praying for family that they will find peace.
May 1, 2025
Cousin Nancy is greatly missed but the contributions of her life carry on tremendously. Nancy was always gracious in her hospitality. Growing up I remember her bringing Jason and Rachel back to Missouri to visit. Later when we would talk, she would share about her own childhood when she and her mother Clarabell would take the train from Arizona back to Missouri to visit her grandparents.
Even when my wife (Gina) and I visited Nancy in Pasadena in more recent years she was very hospitable even when she did not feel well. Nancy took Gina and I to the Huntington Library one afternoon. While Gina and I looked around the museum, cousin Nancy stayed behind and when we went back to look for her she was taking a nap on one of the museum benches. When she woke up she was ready to go again...strong lady.
Great memories of such a good woman.
Even when my wife (Gina) and I visited Nancy in Pasadena in more recent years she was very hospitable even when she did not feel well. Nancy took Gina and I to the Huntington Library one afternoon. While Gina and I looked around the museum, cousin Nancy stayed behind and when we went back to look for her she was taking a nap on one of the museum benches. When she woke up she was ready to go again...strong lady.
Great memories of such a good woman.
Donate
In honor of our Nancy, we invite you to contribute to an amazing nonprofit that transformed the last decades of her post-aneurysm life: https://onthestage.tickets/lineage-performing-arts-center/donate#/donations
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