Nancy Register Wangen, 80, died of cancer Sunday, July 5, 2015, at home in St. Louis Park.

She was born Jan. 20, 1935, in Alden to Gordon and Ardis (Petersen) Register. Nancy valued her public school education in Albert Lea and the dedicated female teachers who were her role models. She was pleased to receive a Distinguished Alumni Award from the Albert Lea Education Foundation in 2013.

Nancy worked her way through Mankato State College, where she re-met her Albert Lea High School 1953 classmate Roger Wangen. They married in May 1959 and taught in Battle Creek, Michigan, where racial inequities fueled Nancy’s activism. She taught English at Hopkins High School from 1962 to 1965. While raising her children she volunteered with the League of Women Voters and the DFL, and co-chaired Joan Growe’s 1972 legislative campaign — a grass roots victory that changed the lives of the women involved. This group, “The Ladies,” remained her best friends.

The Hopkins Schools hired Nancy as affirmative action director in 1973, launching a mission to help school districts statewide implement Title IX. Seeing how administrators spur or impede change sent her back to school in educational policy and administration at the University of Minnesota. She earned a Ph.D. in 1982 and worked for the Center for Education Policy Studies and MNSCU. Her proudest achievement was negotiating and designing the transfer curriculum that allows Minnesota college students to transfer general education credits from one school to another.

Nancy loved travel, food, books, movies, biking and the history of World War II, which colored her childhood.

She was predeceased by her parents; and sister and brother-in-law JoAnn and Rodger Squires. She is survived by her steadfast husband, Rog; daughters Chris Wangen (Tom Plunkett) of St. Paul and Kerry Wangen of Long Beach, California; sister, Cheri Register, of Minneapolis and her daughters Grace De Jong and Maria Register; Joey’s kids Jeff Squires, Jay Squires, Lisa Lee and families; sister-in-law, Margaret Kenevan; aunt, Mary Jean Pagenkopf, of Albert Lea; and many cousins.

No services are scheduled. The family welcomes memorials to charities serving children. Please send condolences to Roger Wangen, Parkshore, 3663 Park Center Boulevard, St. Louis Park, MN 55416.