On March 7, 2021, the world lost a beloved grandmother, mother, sister, daughter and friend. Ann Nakaya Pansoy, 70, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in her home in Springfield, Ore.
Ann was born on March 16, 1950 to Ben and Chiyo Nakaya in Oakland, Calif. She was the eldest of five. After graduating from Castlemont High School in 1968, she went on to study art at the University of California at Berkeley.
In 1970, she met Josefino “Joe” Pansoy on a blind date, and they wed that same year. Two children were born to them, Anthony and JoeAnn. They lived in the Bay Area of California until moving to Oregon in the early ‘80s.
Shortly after moving to Oregon, Ann worked for the City of Springfield for several years. She went on to work for the City of Eugene as an office manager until her retirement in 2005. Her colleagues remember her as hard-working, incredibly organized, and having a witty sense of humor.
Ann was a skilled craftsperson, using fabric, clay, yarn or paper as her mediums of choice. She successfully sold thousands of unique items locally and online since 1983. Her accomplishments include winning state and local textile Top Points, People’s Choice, and Superintendent’s Choice awards. Her beautiful quilts, gift baskets, children and adult clothing, and fairy houses were on display at the Lane County Fair each year.
When Ann wasn’t busy crafting away in her sewing room, she was filling the lives of family and friends with warmth and kindness, often gifting her creations, lending a helping hand, and sharing her knowledge. She enjoyed trying new recipes and traveling up and down the Oregon Coast. Most of all, she cherished being anywhere family was, especially her grandchildren. Words cannot express how much she will be missed.
Ann was predeceased by her father, Ben Nakaya, and her brother, Tim Nakaya. She is survived by her husband, Joe, son Anthony Pansoy and wife Cristina, daughter JoeAnn Pansoy and husband Himer Oregon, four grandchildren: Izaac and Kai Oregon, Tyler and Leah Pansoy, the centers of her universe. She is also survived by her mother Chiyo Nakaya, her brothers, Douglas, Victor, and James, as well as a large extended family and many close friends.
The family requests all cards and notes to them be sent to Major Family Funeral Home, 112 A St, Springfield, OR 97477. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation honoring Ann’s memory to the American Diabetes Association, PO Box 7023, Merrifield, VA 22116-7023 or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, PO Box 37920, Boone, IA 50037.
A celebration of Ann’s life is being planned for a later date when her loved ones can safely gather.
