Northern Colorado Remembers Nancy Lorene Sheaffer

Nancy Lorene Sheaffer Venturato of Fort Collins, CO passed away in her sleep on April 22, 2022. She was 80 years old and lived a full life before being called back home.

Born on July 11, 1941, in Independence, Missouri she grew up singing in the church choir, graduated from Van Horn High School, and attended Central Missouri State University earning her teaching degree. She married John Arthur Venturato, who was in the Marines, in 1963 and she taught 3rd grade in Kansas City. As a military wife, she moved around and lived in Virginia and California and opened in-home day care centers during her travels.

After moving to Wellington and becoming a single parent to her two young daughters she started her 40-year career at Colorado State University. She helped start their Continuing Education Online Learning Program, worked as the Executive Assistant to the Head of Housing and Dining, and helped the International House residents as their Office Manager. She loved interacting with the international students so much, learning about their countries and keeping in touch with them as they started their families and careers, that she continued working until she was 76.

She taught Sunday School 1st graders for over 20 years at Wellington Federated Church and was responsible for running the elementary age opening each Sunday, playing piano, and teaching the young members all the fun Sunday School songs. She also worked tirelessly on many of the Christmas pageant productions. She supported her two girls in anything they wanted to do and was a Girl Scout leader for both, taking them through Brownies to Cadettes and then supporting their efforts in scouting through high school.

She was an avid reader and was active in her book club and had several of her club’s book reviews published. She enjoyed gardening, learning about history, playing with her dogs, eating lunch with her grandkids, and having a free Slurpee on her 7-11 birthday. She moved to Fort Collins and became a member of First United Methodist Church and especially enjoyed the music program. Her retirement was happy with no early morning meetings, lots of free time, and surrounded by her two children and five grandchildren. She overcame a lot to raise her family, was much loved by all, and will be missed.

She is preceded in death by her mother and father, Nancy Ellen (Willis) and John Luther Sheaffer, and her brother John Robert Sheaffer. She is survived by her two daughters Nancy Jeanne (Venturato) Murzyn, Sandra Lorene Venturato; son-in-law John Joseph Murzyn; and five grandchildren John Anthony Murzyn, Hannah Kathleen Gilbert, Bryce Andrew Murzyn, Thomas James Gilbert, and Wren Aeryn Murzyn.

Services will be held in the main sanctuary of First United Methodist Church on May 9, 2022, at 1 pm with a viewing at 12:30 pm. A reception will follow the ceremony and the burial service will take place at Grandview Cemetery at 3 pm. Donations to one of her favorite causes, Heifer International (www.heifer.org), can be made in her honor in lieu of flowers.