JACK MAURICE NESTBY (January 8, 1935 – January 21, 2026)

A celebration of Maury’s life will be held on February 28, at 1:00 p.m., at First Lutheran Church (2483 Mitchell Rd. SE, Port Orchard, WA 98366).

Jack Maurice Nestby, affectionately known as Maury, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on January 21, 2026. A man of steadfast faith, he is now with his Savior, Jesus.

Early Life and Education

Maury was born on January 8, 1935, in Everett, Washington, to Jacob and Margit Nestby. He grew up in Everett, where he made lasting memories with his sister, Elsa, and a circle of lifelong friends. It was there that he met Anne Botten in grade school; they began dating during their senior year at Everett High School and attended their Senior Prom together. In her 1953 yearbook, he left a prophetic note: “PS: I hope I see more of you in the future.”

In 1955, Maury married Anne, the love of his lif e. After the birth of their daughter, Lynn Marie, they moved to Capitol Hill in Seattle so Maury could attend Seattle Pacific College. He graduated with a degree in Accounting, a field that would define his professional life.

Career and Service

In his early career, Maury worked as a fisherman in Alaska and held roles at Time Oil Company, Lumberman’s Mercantile, and Ernst Hardware & Lumber. In 1963, he accepted a position with Palmer G. Lewis in Gorst and moved the family to Port Orchard. Maury’s final and most rewarding tenure was with the Boeing Company, where he served as an Accountant for 25 years until his retirement in 1992 at the age of 57.

Maury’s skills as a planner and builder were also his gifts to his community. At First Lutheran Church, he served as President of the Church Council, Chairman of the Long Range Planning Committee, helping to plan and build the new church on Mitchell Avenue, and served as Church Treasurer for over 12 years. He also dedicated countless hours to remodeling and building projects for his family and for the Sons of Norway Normanna Park. Building and planning were his gifts and his way of showing love and devotion. The cabin at Normanna Park on Lake Riley continues to be the family gathering place, especially in the summer.

The Great Outdoors

An avid outdoorsman, Maury fell in love with the Olympic Peninsula and the Cascades after taking mountaineering classes at Olympic College. He became a Rope Leader and summited most of Washington’s major peaks, including Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker, and Mt. Adams. He famously summited Mt. Saint Helens prior to its 1980 eruption alongside Paul Olson, long before Paul began dating Maury’s daughter, Lynn.

For 50 years, Maury and Anne were pillars of the Parkwood Packers group (later called The Olympic Sail, Trail, and Summit team). Their friendships and trips shaped their traveling experiences and took them all over the world - hiking in the Olympics and Cascades; canoeing major rivers, the Grand Canyon, and the San Juan Islands; bicycling Vancouver Island & Orcas Island; boating and sailing trips in Greece, Puerto Rico, the British Virgin Islands, and the San Juan Islands; attending the Olympic games in Vancouver and Barcelona; traveling to parts of Europe, China, Italy, New Zealand; and visiting aunts, uncles and cousins in their beloved Norway. The group’s 50th trip was a cruise to Alaska in 2016.

A Heritage Rediscovered

Maury was always deeply proud of his Norwegian heritage, but a remarkable discovery in 2014 added a new chapter to his family history. Through a chance Facebook message, a woman in Norway asked Maury about the origin of his "Nestby" name. It was soon revealed that Maury’s father, Jacob, had been raised believing his own father, Kristian, had died in a mining camp in Northern Norway (Bodo). In reality, while Jacob and his mother had moved back to Trondheim, Kristian had remarried and raised a second family near Bodo.

This revelation meant that Maury had a whole branch of aunts, uncles, and cousins he never knew existed. This dream culminated in 2019 when seven Norwegian cousins traveled to Port Orchard to meet Maury for the first time, sparking a beautiful era of family visits back and forth to their beloved Norway.

Legacy of Love

Beyond his accomplishments, Maury was "Dad and Grandpa" to many. He and Anne were constant fixtures at South Kitsap High School sporting events, music performances, and dance recitals. Over five decades, they chaperoned countless Band and Choir trips and welcomed dozens of "bonus" grandkids into their family travels.

Above all, Maury was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. He gave unselfishly, always ensuring family came first through his encouragement, support, and legendary "financial advice." Before his passing, Maury spoke with each family member individually to share his pride and love. His final words to his beloved wife, after she kissed him and told him she loved him, were, “I love you more.”

Survivors

Maury is survived by his wife of 70 years, Anne; his daughter Lynn Olson (Paul); his grandchildren Christopher (Robin), Katie, Emily, and Andy (Enrique); his nieces Sheila Woodward, Mary Genasi, AnneLynn Kosbab-Averill, Susan Crum, and Laura Bergman; his nephew Mark Kosbab; and his cherished Olson in-laws. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jacob and Margit Nestby, and his sister, Elsa Ryan (John).