Passed away at the Perley Health in Ottawa after suffering for 11 years with Dementia. Nancy is survived by her husband of 55 years, the Hon. Paul DeVillers PC. LL.B., her 3 children Michael, Alan and Jocelyn and her only grandchild Jesse. Nancy is also survived by her brother Graham Knight and his children Casey, Jeff and Andrew. Nancy was predeceased by her parents Evelyn (née Jeffrey) and Harold Knight, and her brother Alan.
Nancy was a graduate of York University with both a Bachelor and a Master of Arts. She graduated from Teachers College and taught school in Ottawa and then in Simcoe County where she rose to the positions of Vice-Principal, Principal and for the last 5 years of her career as a Superintendent of Schools in Simcoe County.
As a youth Nancy spent many years as a camper and a counselor at Camp Mini-Yo-We. After returning to Ottawa from Simcoe County in retirement Nancy volunteered in the Cancer Unit of Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario. Nancy was very active in the Ottawa branch of the Canadian Federation of University Women becoming President of this organization before being stricken with Dementia.
The family wishes to acknowledge the professional and compassionate care provided by the staff on the Ottawa 2 East unit at the Perley for the more than 4 years she spent there.
Friends are invited to gather on Monday April 21, 2025 at the Sacred Space of the Beechwood National Memorial Centre, 280 Beechwood Ave. Ottawa after 1:00p.m. Memorial Service will be held at 2:00p.m. followed by inurnment and a reception.
In lieu of flowers, donations in honour of Nancy may be made to the Perley Health - Professional Development Fund, to help support their dedicated staff or Plan International’s “Because I am a girl” Project.
Digital Guestbook
Art and Connie Bennett
Lesley Barsky
Dear Paul and family,
I have thought of Nancy often over the years since we both returned to York university to get Masters degrees. We were both mothers of three small children at the time, so this was a major undertaking. I very much admired Nancy’s commitment, driving to Toronto from Lafontaine for classes no matter what the weather. We were fast friends and coincidentally my family rented a cottage every summer a few minutes from the DeVillers home, so we saw each other in the summer as well. Nancy was so smart, so kind and cheerful. I always looked forward to seeing her. I’m sending heartfelt condolences to your family for your profound loss. May Nancy’s memory be a blessing.
Lesley Barsky
Stephanie Sibbald
I feel so blessed to have had a role model like Aunt Nancy while I was growing up. Not only was she a very sophisticated lady, but she nurtured all of the relationships around her, even the ones with children. In my case, we bonded over books and word games. She even inspired me to start a (short lived) book club in the 4th grade, and she came to our first meeting to teach us the ropes. In my pre-teens we started a tradition of Christmas shopping, and I remember taking my time to browse so that I could explain to her the “teenage trends”. In my last year of high school, I wrote my IB Extended Essay on the works of Jane Austen, and despite starting to feel the effects of her dementia, she took the time to review my early drafts. I will remember Aunt Nancy most fondly, with all her patience and grace. May she rest in peace. ❤️
Condolences to you and your family so sorry for your loss.