Nancy Berry

Nancy passed away at the Kloefkorn hospice house in Casper, Wyoming after a long fight with cancer. Surrounded by family and friends for days, she lost her fight at 10pm on April 20th. Nancy Jane Berry was born in Casper on July 29th, 1954 to her loving parents Fred Albert Berry and Leona Mae Berry Forsberg. She had three siblings; Phillip Richard Witt, Bonnie Lee Berry Heuschkel, and Ace Fred Phillips. She attended school at Park Elementary, CY Junior High, and graduated high school at Natrona County High School. She studied geology at Pikes Peak Community College in Colorado Springs. During high school she was president of Theta Roe IOOF Rebekah Lodge #139, where she was a 50 year member. She married Leslie Allen Shankland and moved to Laramie while Leslie finished school at the University of Wyoming. After graduation, they moved to Walnut Creek California where Leslie worked as an Electrical Engineer. While in Walnut Creek, Nancy gave birth to her first son, Adam Pax Shankland and her second son, Ryan Mark Shankland. In December 0f 1976, Les, Nancy and the boys moved to Colorado Springs. She started a chimney sweeping business in addition to working as a full time mother, and took classes at Pikes Peak Community College. Nancy always said that her time as a full time mother was the happiest in her life. It showed; every kid in the neighborhood had arts and crafts projects hanging all about the house, and the house was hub of activity for the local youth. After divorcing Les in 1980, she moved back to Casper. Shortly after spending an entire summer at Alcova Lake with her sons, Nancy rekindled a high school romance with Steve Grace of Casper. They were married for several years. In 1988 she landed a job with Nabisco in Cheyenne. It was here that a lasting passion for government was kindled; for a short time Nancy spent nights supplementing the Nabisco income tending bar at the Four Winds on Pershing Boulevard in Cheyenne. It was here Nancy befriended several members of the State House and Senate. Spending time all over the town with them, she met more legislators and lobbyists. She spent a lot of time at the Capital. Nancy hobnobbed with two sitting Governors as well during the following years. After surviving an attack by an ex-boyfriend and finding no legal recourse to have her case heard, she implored her friends in high places to initiate anti-stalking legislation. Nancy testified to the extent of her injuries, and her inability to control not being stalked further by her attacker with the existing laws. Legislation was successfully passed protecting individuals in danger of stalkers. The experience she had in Cheyenne weighed heavy on her. After moving back to Casper in 1992, one of her sons implored her to do something with her newfound passion. After hearing her talk extensively how special interests controlled the government, and how the "people" were being left by the wayside, that son told her for the first and only time to "shut up and do something." The next day her name was on the ballot running for State House under the Democratic ticket. She ran and lost. Two years later Nancy ran again and won. She spent two two year terms in the State House as a Democrat. Endorsed by the NRA, and working across the aisle in every way possible, Nancy was a rare picture of bipartisanship even back in the 1990's. Clarene Law, long-time House Representative from Jackson, said of Nancy: "She was a Democrat. I was a Republican. She was always a favorite of mine. We worked together on bills and committees. It was a wonderful experience to work with Nancy. I have great love and respect for my friend Nancy. We enjoyed a time and a state where legislators could work together, and to be friends first. Always working on the common good. She worked hard to do what she thought was the right thing. God Bless her." She was an avid hunter, and worked hard towards the goal of keeping public lands in public hands. Antelope hunting was her favorite, though it was not uncommon to find fresh rabbit stew in the pot in her house for dinner. Before her time in the State House, she met and eventually married David Mark Shuck on May 19, 2001. They enjoyed the blues music scene in central Wyoming, and Dave played in the locally popular JD Blues Band. Nancy would be at nearly every performance, dancing, singing, and generally having a good time. David passed December 13, 2004. Sometime around 2010, John "Mackie" Massey, another member of the JD Blues band, joined Nancy in a mutual partnership. Though they would argue over whether they were "roommates" or "partners" or "boyfriend and girlfriend" they took care of one another until Nancy passed. Nancy also had a great love of reading. This spilled over into a love of writing that produced several cute children's books, shared among family members. A favorite was a christmas book about Santa having a rocket-powered sled. She also liked to write songs, her favorite was one written in San Francisco's Chinatown about sitting on a box of Sake and watching people, and how amazing life was. Nancy lived her life according to her rules, whenever she could. She fought hard for what she thought was important, from delivering May Day baskets to her neighbors, to bringing her young children's community together, to saving victims of stalking from becoming victims of assault or murder. The Great State of Wyoming is better for her time spent there. The Planet Earth is a better place for her time. God bless her. May she rest in peace. She is survived by her sons, Ryan Mark and Adam Pax Shankland, sister Bonnie Heuschel, brothers Phil Witt and Ace, two grandchildren, Skyler and Zola, Partner John Massey and her overactive border collie Tank.