Nancy Ellen Fontana, 81, passed Tuesday April 19th at the Friendship Village – Hospice of the Valley Center after a long battle with cancer. She was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister and aunt. She was a talented artist in many genres. She loved needlework, ceramics and sewing. In mastering and teaching her crafts, she accumulated many and diverse friendships. Her family adored her gentle, caring way she did everything in life. She always listened and waited to speak. Her words in any conversation were uplifting and positive. Little known to many, she was an avid follower of Arizona pro sports teams. She spent many years following, closely, the Arizona Cardinals, the Phoenix Suns and the Arizona Diamondback and knew the coaches and players by name, position and strength. She is survived by her husband of 59 years, M. Dean Fontana, her daughters, Kara Tretbar (Brian), Sarah Sajich, Jolie Fontana-Black, her grandchildren, Natali Fontana, Milena Sajich and Laura Black, her great grandson, Braxton Simenson, her brother, Dwight Steege (Nancy) and her sister, Marilyn Rugg, and many nieces and nephews whose lives she enjoyed following closely.
