Nancy Chapa, 77: TWA Flight Attendant, Owner of Pancho Villa’s

Obituary

Nancy June Harman Chapa, 77, of State College, PA, passed away on Wednesday January 1st, 2021 at Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nevada. Nancy, and her husband, Israel Ibarra Chapa, had made the move to Reno, Nevada in early December 2020 to live out their remaining years. The move also brought them closer to their son, Christian, and his two children. Nancy was born and raised in Kansas City, Kansas where her father worked as an attorney and her mother began a career as TWA's first flight attendant and later became a registered nurse.

Nancy attended the University of Kansas where she was a cheerleader for the Jayhawks basketball team and member of the Delta Gamma sorority. She then moved to NYC where, following in her mother's footsteps, she became an international flight attendant for TWA. She began her career in 1966 and retired in 2001. She loved flying internationally and spent most of her career flying to Spain which was her favorite destination. She met her husband, Israel, in Manhattan, New York where he worked as a maitre d' for a local Mexican restaurant, Fonda la Paloma. The restaurant environment would play a pivotal role in their lives. In 1976 they opened Pancho Villa's, a popular Mexican restaurant in Westport, Connecticut. The business afforded them the luxury of raising a family in the nearby town of Wilton.

Pancho Villa's became a fixture in Westport, winning numerous awards, and operating successfully for over 25 years until Israel's retirement in 1995. While employed as a flight attendant, Nancy worked to elevate the restaurant's status and reputation among locals. Whether it was serving and entertaining their loyal customer base, or creative contributions to the restaurant's historical décor, Nancy was instrumental in the success of the business.

Nancy often referred to Israel as "my Mexican", and their marriage lasted nearly 52 years! Nancy is survived by her sister Judy, beloved husband Israel, daughter Nicole, son Christian, and three grandchildren: David, Sebastian, and Samantha.

A celebration of life service will be held for Nancy on Sunday, August 8th, 2021 at 12:30pm at Greenland's Lodge, 3462 Birmingham Pike, Alexandria, PA 16611. For any additional information on the service, or interest in attending, please email Nicole and Christian at the following email address – "nancyjchapa@gmail.com."