Nancy Jean Rooper

Surrounded by loving family, Nancy Jean Rooper lost her battle with cancer on April 17, 2023, in The Dalles, Ore. She was born Sept. 16, 1954, in Riverside, Calif., one of five children born to Frank and Mary Evelyn (Miller) Benson.

Nancy met and fell deeply in love with Ryan Rooper, and they married on Halloween, Oct. 31, 2001. She was his partner through good times and tough times for the rest of her life. A celebration will be held on Wednesday, May 3 at a location special to both: The Dalles Art Center, 220 E. Fourth St., from 3–5 p.m.

In her youth, Nancy developed a love of art. Of her artistic journey, Nancy said, “For me, art began with my first box of crayons. I felt all the joy each small stick of color brought me. To this day, the smell of plain old crayons still reminds me of that joy.”

Nancy became interested in art watching her older brother paint. She remembers longing to be like him, if only when she was old enough. Little did Nancy know she was well on her way to becoming an artist already. When she was a teen, Nancy received her first set of oils and canvas. She vividly remembers the bliss of putting brush to canvas her first time. Now, Nancy finds happiness by sharing and seeking to learn with other artists. She concludes, “I can sum it all up by saying, art is not just a pastime for me, but a passion!”

Nancy loved being active and a member of groups … not being singled out. The 3 NANCY'S + CARMEN always kept her excited. They had several shows at The Dalles Art Center, where she won several awards. They enjoyed spending afternoons hanging art at setups in local wineries while enjoying the libations. At about 6 p.m., Ryan would get a call: “Can you come get me?”

She had numerous adventures and a lot of fun with art. She enjoyed plein air painting throughout the Gorge. Her finished pieces were displayed at many wineries, bakeries and at special gallery events. She painted because she saw the “colors in life … bright flashy fun colors in everything.” The only dark paintings were during her cancer treatments.

Nancy was preceded in death by her mother Mary Evelyn, father Frank and brother Theodore. She is survived by her beloved husband, Ryan; sons Miguel, Trevor and Nicholas Maldonado; grandchildren Raleigh, Jude, and Corbin Maldonado; Ryan’s daughters Stephanie Davis (Brandon) and children McKenzie, Elise, and Ezekiel, and Amy Tenson (Arron) and children Jocelyn and Bennett; her brothers Charles and Terry; sister Debora Susan (Johnson) Benson; half-brother Regi; stepbrothers Jerry and Ron; and nephew Ted Benson Jr. and nieces Amee Wen, Heidi and Laura Benson.

Debi and Nancy were sisters, in a family of boys. They made a pact to take care of each other for life … very forward-thinking!

Memorial donations to support the activities of The Dalles Art Center are always welcome.

 Spencer, Libby and Powell Funeral Home in care of arrangements.