Elizabeth Ann Nicholson

NICHOLSON, Elizabeth "Liz" Ann Elizabeth "Liz" Ann Nicholson, whose life was centered on family and finance, especially non-profit, died Wednesday, December 14, 2011 after a long debilitating brain illness. She was 55 and had lived in Maryland and the District of Columbia. She is survived by her mother, Elizabeth Crist Nicholson, of Indianapolis, two children, Sara Elizabeth Yoe, 17, and James Philip Yoe, 15, both of Prince Frederick, MD, a half brother, Joseph Meredith Nicholson, and a dear, loving friend, Thomas Grant Robinson of Chesterbrook, PA. Her father, Meredith Nicholson predeceased her in 2009. A memorial service will be at Grace Episcopal Church, 1607 Grace Church Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Due notice will be given for the service. Burial will be in Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis. Arrangements are being made by Haight Funeral Home, Sykesville, MD. Born in Indianapolis, Liz graduated with honors from the former St. Mary's Academy in South Bend. She received a B.A. from Radcliffe College at Harvard University in 1979. Later, she earned a master's degree from the University of Maryland Graduate School of Management and Technology. A marriage to John Williams Yoe ended in divorce. Liz left her first employment at Harris Trust & Savings Bank, Chicago, to join the National Organization for Women (N.O.W.) in 1982 and campaign in Illinois and Washington D.C. Following N.O.W. Liz returned to finance as a corporate loan officer at Perpetual Savings Bank, Washington D.C., and then vice president of Signet Bank for 10 years. At Signet she served as a Community Reinvestment Act officer focusing on nonprofit groups. Subsequently Liz served as Manor Care Foundation executive director, where the emphasis was on research and education of the diseases of the elderly. Liz also was a nonprofit consultant for the Eugene & Agnes Meyer Foundation, the D.C. Youth Orchestra, and the Salvation Army among others. Her last post was site director for the Nonprofit Finance Fund operating in the District, Maryland, and Virginia. In her five years there her work entailed fund raising to help nonprofit clients initiate and grow programs for the arts, child care, community centers, and education. While raising her family, Liz found time for extensive volunteer efforts. The charitable groups included the Nonprofit Roundtable, Cornerstone, Washington Association of Grantmakers, the Columbia Hospital for Women and others in community, housing and economic development. Liz also enjoyed running, cooking, gardening and travel. She retained an early passion for Democratic politics throughout her adult life. Her last months were spent at Copper Ridge, a retirement community in Sykesville, MD, affiliated with the Johns Hopkins Memory Group specializing in the long-term diagnosis and treatment of the memory impaired. In lieu of flowers, Liz's family requests that memorial gifts be made to the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Brain Research Center (BRC), Room 558, Ross-Neuropathology, 720 Rutland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21205, Attn: Elaine Delman, or to the Copper Ridge Community Enrichment Fund, in care of Episcopal Ministries for the Aged (EMA), 576 Johnsville Road, Eldersburg, MD 21784, or to the donor's favorite charity. See www.haightfuneralhome.com

Elizabeth Ann Nicholson

April 12, 1956 - December 14, 2011