Nancy L. Nelson Phillips passed away peacefully, surrounded by her loving family at Providence Medical center in Portland, Oregon, at age 63. She was born, raised and educated in Hillsboro, Oregon. She was married to Tom Phillips, and had two beautiful daughters and was later divorced. Nancy loved living in Portland, and had a large network of friends. She was an incredibly creative and artistic person. She enjoyed knitting handbags, making quilts, weaving baskets, and doing needlepoint. One of Nancy's biggest passions was researching her genealogy, and finding her Oregon Trail roots. She had a very strong connection to her history, and it brought her great joy and pride to embrace her Native American lineage.

Nancy is survived by her two daughters, Amy Phillips and Melissa Piper, three loving grandchildren, Jason, Hunter, and Ava, and one great grandchild, Carter. Her mother, Sandy Nelson and her four brothers, Wayne, Craig, Brian and Casey Nelson.

A memorial will be held for Nancy, at Naya, where she was an "Elder" on Saturday, October 1, 2016 from 4-7pm at The Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA) 5135 NE Columbia Blvd Portland, OR 97218 **In lieu of flowers, donations are welcome to be sent to Providence Cancer Center