Nancy M. Von der Schmidt Primus, 69, of Williamsburg, VA, passed away on Sunday, September 8, 2024. She was born in Red Bank, NJ, on December 31, 1954, to the late William and Eldora Von der Schmidt.
Left to cherish her memory are her loving husband, Roy J. Primus; son, Ian J. Primus; sisters, Margaret Von der Schmidt and Patricia Kingkade; nieces, Margaret Kingkade and Laura Lemens (Andrew) and her children, Harper, Cameron, and Finn.
Nancy attended elementary school at St. Lawrence in Bridgeton, MO, and continued her studies at St. Thomas Aquinas during high school. In 1976, she accomplished her Bachelors in Home Economics from St. Mary-of-the-Woods in Indiana.
Nancy and Roy were married on December 4, 1976. They lived in Columbus, IN, for 25 and18 years near Albany, NY, before moving to Williamsburg, VA, in 2020 when they retired. During their residence time in New York, Nancy would escape the Northeastern winters by migrating to their Tampa-area condominium to enjoy the warm sun and sand of the ocean beaches. Nancy loved being by water and had a particular fondness for the ocean.
Prior to suffering knee problems, she was an avid tennis player. She was multi-talented with her sewing, quilting, needlework, knitting, and tole painting. She loved working with fabric and learning about the history and culture relating to fabric making; often a focus of her travels. She enjoyed decorating for the holidays as evidenced by the numerous storage bins of decorations, with many of them from her own handiwork. Nancy also enjoyed entertaining and she had excellent culinary skills and a great appreciation for food and drink. The highlights of any of her many travels were the meals at new and interesting restaurants, particularly those in historic settings.
Over the years Nancy was an active volunteer for the Columbus school system, Tri Kappa, various sewing and quilting groups, RCA tennis tournaments, and the condominium homeowners’ association.
After not having any pets during her childhood, Nancy developed a fondness for cats in her adult life. She loved and enjoyed the antics of her adopted fur babies; Tigger (1994-2008) and Sam (2008-2024).
Nancy always said, “if you want to send me flowers, send them while I am alive and can appreciate them.” It was her wish that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made, in memory of Nancy Primus, to the Heritage Humane Society at 430 Waller Mill Road, Williamsburg, VA 23185.
A private service will be held at a future date.
