January 20, 1961 – January 15, 2023

Nancy Brenner Hilty passed away peacefully on January 15th at home, surrounded by her loving family. She died after a long battle with Huntington’s Disease that affected her life drastically over the past ten years. Huntington’s Disease is a rare genetic neuropsychiatric degenerative disease. She was 61 years old.
Nancy lived in the Roaring Fork Valley for 38 years. She graduated from Bergenfield High School in Bergenfield, New Jersey. Nancy followed her love for the outdoors to Colorado and graduated from the University of Colorado with an Environmental Science degree. While living in the valley, she furthered her education with a Graphic Design degree from Colorado Mountain College.
Nancy’s move to Aspen was similar to most local ski bum’s stories. Her original plan was to move here for one ski season, but after falling in love with the area, she quickly realized she had found her new home. Nancy met her husband, Jack, on Snowmass mountain and the two established an active outdoor life together.
Over the next few decades, they raised their two children Max and Summer, along with many loving pets. Nancy worked as a hostess with the Aspen Chamber Resort Association and held many restaurant and service industry positions. She especially valued her involvement as a founding parent of the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork. She worked with the students as an art teacher and a costume designer for many of the school’s productions. Nancy also used her beautiful voice as a member of the Waldorf Revelers, the Waldorf School Adult Choir.
Creative expression was always a lifelong pursuit for Nancy. Some of her favorite artistic passions included painting, drawing, and ceramic classes at CMC and the Carbondale Clay Center. Nancy cherished her life in the Roaring Fork Valley. It was a true gift that she was able to be so involved with the growth and development of her two children. Friendship was also vital to Nancy. Her countless friends over the years will remember her as kind, energetic, and giving.
A celebration of Nancy’s life is being planned for the spring. Donations in Nancy’s memory will be kindly accepted at the Huntington’s Disease Society of America. These donations will help to further research of this devastating disease. Proceeds will go towards finding a cure or treatment options for those with or at risk of inheriting HD.