Nanci Ruth Haber

“I would ride with you upon the wind

Run on top of the disheveled tide, and dance upon the mountains like a flame”

-William Butler Yeats, The Land of Heart’s Desire


While difficult to encapsulate one’s amazing journey on this earth, these words come close in capturing the elegant and vivacious way Nanci Ruth Haber approached everything throughout her life. She was an incredible mother, grandmother, best friend, ray of sunlight, ball of energy, and brilliant businesswoman who knew few boundaries.

Nanci was born December 2, 1937 in Decatur, Illinois. She was the apple of her father’s eye, excelling at so many things growing up, ranging from being a top student, accomplished dancer, award winning equestrian and the captain of her Gulf Park College sailing team in Gulf Port, Mississippi.

Nanci earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and was a certified teacher where she utilized her skills in the Brooklyn, NY school system. She donated countless hours over many years to Women’s American ORT, a national organization that strengthens the worldwide community by empowering people through technological and vocational education, helping nearly 300,000 students each year.

Nanci strived to have a positive impact on others throughout her life – with great success in her 30+ years as a real estate broker in both Greensboro, North Carolina and Indianapolis, Indiana, helping people find the homes of their dreams. She would never rest without exhausting every possibility to make things work, and was very creative. Nanci, also known and patented as ‘The Condo Queen’, was a multi-year recipient of the prestigious RE/MAX 100% club award given to those that achieved levels of productivity that were more than double the industry average.

Upon retiring, she focused on her three great loves, traveling the world with her daughter Cortney, spending time with her son Mitchell and his family, and feeding her hunger for sports. Some of her favorite places to travel were New Orleans, Scotland, Ireland, Australia, and South Africa, where Nanci became enamored by the wildlife and started focusing on animal preservation. For sports, she enjoyed volunteering at the Indianapolis 500 parade and race, Crooked Stick and Brickyard Golf Tournaments and Final Four events. Nanci especially loved attending Indianapolis Colts games and collegiate basketball tournaments as an avid Tarheel supporter.

She had an unquenchable thirst for learning, broadening her horizons and leaving the world a better place than she found it by always giving back.

Nanci was truly one of a kind – a real Renaissance woman.

She is survived by daughter Cortney and son Mitchell, his wife Nan and grandsons Jack and Briggs. Nanci was preceded in death by her parents Jocelyn Alice and Maurice Brown and her sister Sheila Pearce.

Please join us for a celebration of Nanci’s life at Indianapolis Funeral Home, 8151 Allisonville Road, Indianapolis, IN, on Thursday, March 12, from 3-5pm. The service will start promptly at 3:30pm. We will welcome participants at the closing of the service to share any stories where Nanci made an impact on their lives and those of others.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to:
A Living Tribute - Nanci
where a tree can be planted in Nanci’s memory; or to:

Animal Adventure 
and acknowledge Nanci Haber in the notes section. She was a volunteer at the Indianapolis Zoo.