Nancy Patton started ringing handbells in the ’90s, when her mother encouraged her to give it a try. She had no idea what a handbell was, had never touched or seen one, but in her usual way, was determined to please her mom. And her mom was right—handbells are really fun to play, which is still true after all these years. Nancy never mastered a musical instrument in her youth so ringing handbells as a “group instrument” is a great joy for her! Now she considers herself a musician and honors her mother through her love of handbells.

Since 2002, Nancy has been a member of Bells of the Cascades. During that time, she’s been President, VP, and Secretary on the board. These days, Nancy oversees equipment, which is a perfect fit for her love of details and organization. And there’s a lot of equipment. When not ringing bells, Nancy works as a sales engineer for a legal software company in Portland, which mixes her high-tech background with her law degree. Nancy loves living in the Pacific Northwest, relocating to Portland from the San Francisco Bay Area over twenty years ago.