Jackson grew up in Moscow, Idaho; her father Melbourne L. Jackson (1915–2004) was a professor of chemical engineering at the University of Idaho, and her mother Elizabeth Ford was a daughter of Montana governor Sam C. Ford.[2] Nancy Jackson graduated from Moscow High School in 1972 and followed in her father's footsteps, becoming an engineer.[3]
In 1977, she earned a degree in chemical engineering from Oregon State University in Corvallis and in 1980 a master's degree from the University of Washington in Seattle.[1][3] After working as an environmental engineer, Jackson later gave up her job at Weyerhaeuser to devote herself full time to climbing.[4]
Jackson moved to Federal Way, Washington where she became a mountain guide for Rainier Mountaineering Inc.[4] She climbed Rainier more than 50 times during the 1980s[5] and reached the summits of Denali in Alaska, and Aconcagua in Argentina, the highest peak in South America.[6]
While working as a mountain guide, she collaborated with author Kurt Hanson on the 5th edition of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, one of the most significant guidebooks for mountaineers. Jackson contributed a new chapter on winter and expedition climbing which she completed before undertaking her final expedition to the Himalayas.[7]
In 1990, Jackson joined the American Manaslu Expedition, which aimed to make the first American summit of the eight-thousander.[3][8] On March 27, Jackson was killed in an avalanche with expedition doctor Charles Schertz and sherpa guide, Nima Wangchuk.[9][10] The accident occurred when the climbers had reached a level of 15,510 feet (4,730 m) when a 400-foot (120 m) slab avalanche gave way, entirely covering the climbers.[11][12] They were found buried in the snow later that day by other team members.[6]
After her death, her hometown congregation at the First Methodist Church in Moscow founded a hand bell choir in her memory. The Nancy Jackson Bell Choir now includes 5 complete octaves of both bells and chimes and two adult, one youth, and one children's bell choir.[13]