In Memoriam
Nancy A. Highgate

Nancy A. Highgate will always be in the hearts of many who knew her. She died on Sunday, October 23, 2005, but she lived with enthusiasm for 71 years and her wit and knowledge, especially of bird lore, made her very special to those who knew her through Audubon.

Nancy was an educator. A native Kansan, born in Parsons, she taught in Kansas school districts for 20 years. She enjoyed being with young people, especially her grandchildren Katie and Zack Littell, sharing knowledge and observations, and giving many educational programs about the natural world.

Nancy first joined National Audubon as members of the Burroughs Audubon Society. She was introduced to birding when her husband Bob bought a pair of binoculars to use for watching the Kansas City Chiefs games. Using them one weekend at a fishing pond with Bob, she suddenly HAD to know about some birds she was watching – and Nancy never did anything halfway!

Nancy served as the newsletter editor for Burroughs Audubon and also for the award-winning newsletter of the Fort Worth Audubon Society. Conservation issues were a priority with her.

Nancy and Bob moved a few blocks from the drying fields of the Fort Worth Sewage Treatment Facility when they moved to Arlington because this was one of the most renowned birding spots in the central United States. Their home soon became the communications center for bird sightings in the area. Heady trips to the Rio Grande Valley in the fall and to High Island, the magnet for migration flyers on the Texas coast, introduced the Highgates to a wide spectrum of the birds sharing this part of the world with us and to many friendships among the camaraderie of birders.

Nancy was serving as the President of the Smoky Hills Audubon Society in Salina - having been elected in the fall of 2003. She also wrote the monthly Sights and Sounds newsletter column recording bird events of the previous month. Nancy and Bob, both skilled birders and naturalists, not only recorded sightings from the field but also produced many species identifications from their own backyard, a haven and delight for their bird friends. Nancy’s personal “Life List of Positively Identified Birds” numbered 521.

In Nancy’s memory, Smoky Hills Audubon Society has contributed $500.00 to Audubon of Kansas to help maintain a representative presence in issues before the Kansas legislature and in matters of environmental concern throughout the state. Together, we thank Nancy for the friends she made for conservation, and for the memories.