Nancy Macpherson Buss

Nancy Jane Macpherson Buss died May 18, 2022, at the age of 91.

Born and raised in the Southern California desert, Nancy graduated from the University of Redlands majoring in music.  She worked as a clerk and a teacher before heading to Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey, where she met her husband Martin Buss. They married in 1954 and settled in suburban Atlanta in 1959.

After spending a number of years raising their four children, she embarked on a career as a music teacher, obtaining a Masters degree in Music Education from Georgia State University in Atlanta. She later gave up teaching to become a legal secretary and paralegal. In retirement, she spent ten years as choir director at Oakhurst Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Georgia. She was a pillar of that church for many years, serving several terms as deacon as well as being an active member of church discussion groups and the chancel choir.

A gifted musician, she spent several decades playing recorder—soprano, alto, tenor, and bass—with local groups, including Emily’s Consort and Lauda Musicam of Atlanta. She served a term on the board of directors of the American Recorder Society, after helping organize the Atlanta chapter. Earlier, she sang for several years with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus. She was an enthusiastic musician until her death, including participating in the Holbrook choir.

She had a strong interest in education, attending the DeKalb County School Board’s weekly meetings faithfully for a number of years, culminating with a run for the board in 1972. It was after she lost that race in a runoff that she turned her attention back to music.

She outlived her parents, Donald and Jane Macpherson, her two brothers David and Donald, Jr., and her sister Ann. She is survived by her husband of 68 years, Martin Buss; her four children, Sam, Jonathan, Mary Aileen, and Jeanne Buss; two daughters-in-law, Teresa Buss and Deaun Moulton; two grandchildren, Stephanie and Ian Buss; and one great-grandchild, Maya Buss-Johnson.

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Oakhurst Presbyterian Church (Decatur) or the Friends of Refugees (Clarkston).