PURTEE, Tamera

The Daily Courier, Prescott, Arizona Tuesday, January 11, 2011 Tamera Nelson Purtee (September 12, 1957 - December 12, 2010) Tamera Purtee, a devoted elementary school teacher, avid ballroom dancer, passionate traveler, and loving wife, died suddenly at her home in Reno, Nev., on Dec. 12, 2010. She was 53. A native of Sioux Falls, S.D., Tamera came to Reno in 1987 and immediately fell in love with the community and its people. It was during these early years in Reno that she discovered her passion for teaching children. Tamera enrolled in the UNR College of Education, obtaining her bachelor's degree in elementary education in 1995. She immediately began her teaching career, which most recently saw her at Lincoln Park Elementary School teaching first grade. She counted as her greatest responsibility in life the opportunity to touch and positively impact the lives of her beloved students. While beginning her teaching career, Tamera discovered her second great passion - ballroom dancing. At first competing in amateur contests with her husband, she later expanded her repertoire to include showcase and dance team presentations throughout northern Nevada. Her sparkling personality, beauty and natural grace made her a fixture in the local ballroom dancing community for more than a decade. She counted as one of her greatest blessings the many wonderful friendships she made while ballroom dancing. In 2005, a cruise to Alaska rekindled a long dormant passion for international travel. The Alaska visit completed a goal to visit all 50 of the United States and launched a new goal - to visit 50 countries. From 2005 until her passing, she made at least one international trip per year - every one of these trips made in the company of her loving family, who shared in her passion for travel. At the time of her death, she was up to 32 countries visited which, as she enjoyed reminding her husband, was one country ahead of him. She counted as the greatest benefit of her extensive travels the time she was able to spend with friends and family. Tamera will always be missed for her warm and loving nature and her devotion to her friends and family. She is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 27 years Jeffrey Purtee; her parents Lawrence and Darlene Nelson; her brother Jay Nelson; her sister Teresa Schick; and her nephews, Jeremy and Matthew Schick. She is also survived by her in-laws, Richard Suits and Johnnie Wood; her brother-in-law Jay Purtee; and her best friend in life, Janet Hartman. Information provided by survivors.