Nancy Downes

Nancy passed on 1/21/2016 at home of natural causes.  She was 82 years old.  Born January 8, 1934 in Lancaster PA. Nancy was married to the late Richard Farish Downes Jr., a long-time resident and dentist in Laurel, Maryland.  Nancy is survived by her only child, daughter, Stephanie Marie Bouzane, son-in-law Paul Kevin and her grandson, Richard Downes with whom she was living for the past 13 years; and by her sister, Joanne and brother-in-law “Bee” Moyer.  Over the years Nancy cultivated many friendships, but none more strongly than her closest friends – calling themselves “the 4 Musketeers”.

Nancy graduated from High School in Hyattsville, Maryland in 1952.  Crowned “Miss Prince Georges” (County), in 1953.  She married in 1954 at the age of 23.  Since 1960, she raised her one and only child as a “stay at home” mom.  During this time, she volunteered for internationally recognized Recovery Inc, a program founded by Dr. Abraham Low of self-help for the mentally ill and persons having difficulty functioning in daily life.  She started as a group member in 1966, then became area leader in 1967, then Board of Director’s member in 1975, and culminating to Board of Directors, Secretary 1980 through 1984.

She started college the same time as her daughter, and showed the world what a wonderful and amazing person she had become.  In 1982, she earned her undergraduate degree from Antioch University in Counseling Psychology.  In 1984, she earned her master’s degree from the Adler Dreikurs Institute, Bowie State College, in Cognitive Behavior Psychology.

After 18 years of tireless service and dedication to Recovery Inc., she resigned to pursue her own professional practice.  She opened her private practice in 1985, “Counseling and Psychotherapy”, in Laurel, Maryland.  She lobbied with dedication for years for the passage of Maryland legislation for the enactment of licensure; which ultimately passed in 2002 with the Professional Counselors and Therapists Act.  She also became licensed in the State of New Jersey.

She was involved in many aspects of rehabilitating the mentally ill.  Traveling extensively for Recovery Inc, she led countless panel discussions and gave presentations throughout the world to large appreciative audiences of healthcare professionals.  She was consultant to The President’s Committee on Employment of the Handicapped, in Washington D.C. from 1973 to 1984.  She was appointed the honorary Mary Switzer Fellow in 1979; one of 18 in the United States to receive this recognition.  She was honored for her leadership, advocacy and expertise in rehabilitation of the mentally ill by the National Rehabilitation Association.  She continued on with education, graduating from the Maryland Psychological Associations, Post-Doctoral Institute in The Cognitive Therapies.

She was on the advisory boards for Rehabilitation, Research and Training in Mental Health of several academic institutions:  Boston University, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Prince George County Community College to name a few.  She attended several radio and television programs, such as the Oprah and Larry Angel shows and was often featured in articles for local newspapers.

She often wrote the following for the ending of her presentations:

I wish your thoughts to be secure;

Your muscles, resolute;

Your daily life, average;

Your total view, realistic;

Your inner environment, peaceful;

And the endorsement to be your own.