Friends and family members packed St. James Catholic Church on Oct. 26 during a memorial service for Nancy Rupp Tibbitts, 51, a UC Davis alumna who for 26 years served as a coordinator and adviser in the campus’s Internship and Career Center. She was a dedicated supporter of UC Davis and agriculture.

On Oct. 20, Tibbits took her life near Auburn.

A native of San Francisco, Tibbitts earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural education in 1980, followed a few years later by a master’s degree in education, both from UC Davis. She married George Tibbitts in 1987, and together they owned and operated Tibbitts Farming Co. near Arbuckle.

At the Internship and Career Center, she was instrumental in developing internship programs in a variety of agricultural disciplines and guided countless students into careers in agriculture. She also served as an adviser to many student groups, particularly the National Agri-Marketing Association.

“Nancy’s passion for students, her commitment to agricultural education, and her family links to agriculture made her a consummate professional in guiding students whose interests were in agriculture and the environment,” said Neal Van Alfen, dean of the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “She helped students pursue careers that matter to all of us.”

She also served as UC Davis’ representative to Camp Adventure, a national program that trains and places college students as camp counselors at military bases worldwide.

In 1987, she was selected to participate in the prestigious California Agricultural Leadership Program, a two-year program that aims to develop advocates for agriculture through public policy studies and through domestic and international travel.

She is survived by her husband and three children, her parents, and her brother and sister.

Donations for memorial contributions can be made payable to the UC Davis Foundation and directed to the Nancy Rupp Tibbitts Scholarship Fund. Send contributions to the UC Davis Foundation, Student Affairs Vice Chancellor’s Office, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616.

— Pat Bailey