Nancy (Nordhoff) Dunnam

Details

Authoritative nameDunnam, Nancy (Nordhoff), 1923-Dates of existence1923 April 16 - 2017 March 12PlaceBellevue (Wash.)Seattle (Wash.)Sweetwater (Tex.)TexasWashington (State)OccupationsWomen air pilotsAir pilotsBiographical/Historical Note

Nancy (Nordhoff) Dunnam served as a WASP (Women's Airforce Service Pilot) during World War II.

Nancy Anne Boyns Nordhoff was born in Seattle, Washington to Arthur Alfonsus Nordhoff and Thelma (Miller) Nordhoff on April 16, 1923. Her grandparents, Edward and Josephine Nordhoff, had founded the Bon Marche department store in Seattle. Her parents had both served in World War I. Dunnam grew up in Washington attending the Helen Bush School, Garfield High School, and both Whitman College and the University of Washington but before she could graduate she traveled to Texas in 1942 with her friend Carol Nicholson to join the Women's Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs). Dunnam's job as a WASP was to tow targets behind her plane for live gunnery practice by male fighter pilots. During her service, her commanding officer was James Dunnam (1919-1995); they ended up marrying.

After the war Nancy and James Dunnam returned to Washington, settling in Bellevue. They had two children, Terre Ann and James Arthur. Nancy helped her father operate Bellevue Airfield for over 40 years. Nancy was also active with the Junior League, the Child Hearing League, Overlake Hospital and supported organizations such as Planned Parenthood, the Seattle Opera, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet. Nancy died March 12, 2017.

Biography derived from collection materials, her obituary on Legacy.com and records on Ancestry.com.

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