Mary Nace
She’s following her mother’s example of helping others
Mary Nace has a long list of projects to which she has given her time and that touch many different areas of the community: Girl Scouts, Kirkwood Kares, Sunday school and coordinating relief for victims of Hurricane Katrina, among others.
All those works and many others are the living legacy of her mother, Jean Jacobsen of Dysart.
“My mother was a role model for me,” Nace said. “That’s something that I kind of grew up with, that you have a responsibility. We have a lot to be thankful for, and it’s a responsibility that you pay it forward or do what you can to help others.”
Jacobsen was very active in her community. She was the first one to visit if someone had a family problem or an illness. She got her children involved from the beginning.
Nace and her husband, Dan, deliver for the Meals on Wheels program in Iowa City every other Sunday. This is an in-home service that not only provides hot meals but also provides some human contact and conversation to those who have trouble getting about.
“I had heard about Meals on Wheels and knew that that was a service that was offered through the senior citizens center,” Nace said. “My husband and I were looking for a volunteer project that we could do together.
“We both have really enjoyed it. It’s a great service to the elderly. I mean, we get as much out of it as they do because they are such nice people. You get to know them by name. It’s fun to see them on a regular basis. Some of them like to visit, too. It’s good for them because a lot of them have trouble making meals.”
Nace has worked as a nurse in various capacities at University Hospitals since 1972. Since 1976, she’s been in the orthopedic clinic as the nurse manager. Nace conceded that her career choice might be another outgrowth of her mother’s emphasis on altruism.
As her own children grew up she became involved in volunteering for various activities. She served on the board of directors of Coral Day Care, helped open the Kirkwood Kares after-school program, was a Brownies leader and taught Sunday school at Gloria Dei Lutheran church. She also helped at school with school and athletic events.
She served meals at the Salvation Army. She’s far from done. She recently volunteered to be on a committee to raise money for the Leukemia/Lymphoma society.
That last one is a little tougher. She calls herself a “worker bee,” a hands-on volunteer instead of a fundraiser. That makes her a rarer and more valuable commodity in many ways. It’s something that her mother would no doubt appreciate and celebrate.
— Susan Harman
