NANCY KEOCHAKIAN CORY

A Biographical Sketch

Nancy Keochakian, a native of South Milwaukee, was born on April 8, 1931. She came to California in 1946. Nancy graduated from Wilson High School, Los Angeles, California, in 1949. She received her AA Degree from John Muir Junior College, Pasadena, California, in 1951 and attended Los Angeles State College where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in 1957 and her Master’s Degree in 1965.

Nancy's teaching career began on September 9, 1954, al the Cedar Street School in Lancaster, California. Her entire teaching career was spent with the Lancaster School District teaching grades two through five at four different schools:

Between 1954 and 1974 Nancy earned five education credentials including Life Teaching, Counseling Services and School Administration.   She co-authored three books, Japan ( 1965), Westward the Nation in Song and Dance(1967), and This is Your Heritage: America the Beautiful (1971). Nancy also co-authored a Classroom Teachers Innovative Instructional Program which was later expanded to provide maps and globes for Lancaster District schools.

Nancy wrote a Los Angeles county pilot course of study on Japan which was later adopted by the Lancaster School District for instruction in grade four. The Antelope Valley Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution recognized Nancy Cory as the "Outstanding Teacher of American History" in 1987.

She was a member of the Ephebian Society of Los Angeles, Lancaster Teacher's Association, Lancaster Junior Women's Club, California Teachers’ Association, charter member of Professional Education of Lancaster, Monte Vista PTA, past president of Monte Vista School Site Council and Delta Kappa Gamma.

Her family includes husband James Cory; two daughters, Donna Marie Cory and Cathleen Cory Smith; granddaughter, Rachel Rose Smith; two sisters, Sophie Mangan and Susan Ward; and her brother Jimmy Keochakian. Her hobbies included reading, cooking, knitting, crocheting, pinochle, art, and stamp and coin collecting.

Nancy exemplified all of the qualities of an outstanding teacher. Through drama, song, dance, choral speaking, art, poetry and public speaking she stimulated understanding in, and challenged her students to explore, to discover and to experience. Nancy Cory was a total teacher who viewed teaching as a labor of love and whose teaching career wondrously affected hundreds of students, their parents and our whole community.

Robert Lloyd, a district principal, described Nancy Cory as "an outstanding teacher who instilled in each student a deep sense of pride for work, classmates, school and country. Each year our American family has a few more polished jewels added to its setting as a result of the masterful touch of this outstanding teacher, Nancy Keochakian Cory".

Nancy died on December 9, 1987, at the age of 56, but she left behind an enduring mark on this community. She has now been honored with, perhaps, the ultimate tribute for an educator, this beautiful new school, named for her...

"Nancy Cory"