Carmel residents Fred Terman and Nan Borreson were together for 43 years before Fred’s passing in 2023.
Fred grew up on the Stanford University campus, where both his father and grandfather were faculty members. He entered Stanford after his junior year of high school, earning a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Science and a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering. Fred went on to teach Computer Engineering at the Naval Postgraduate School for 36 years, continuing to teach until he was 83.
Nan graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Iowa and Masters’ degree in Communication. Nan had a long career in editing and publishing.
Fred and Nan shared a deep enthusiasm for the arts, a passion Nan continues today. Fred volunteered his time and talent to the performing arts, working as a stage manager and technical crew member for local productions, including the Carmel Bach Festival and Forest Theater. Fred was co-founder and president of the Baroque Choral Guild in Palo Alto and Berkeley and served on the boards of Chamber Music San Francisco and Amy Seiwert’s ballet company, Imagery.
Today, Stage Right at Sunset Theater, the box office at the Golden Bough and the entrance lobby of Smuin Ballet’s San Francisco studio are dedicated to Fred and Nan, reflecting their enduring contributions to the arts.
They believed deeply in passing their values to the next generation. They intentionally involved their children and grandchildren by inviting them to recommend organizations and causes they cared about, which Fred and Nan then supported. “It was a way of getting them to think about generosity and giving back,” Nan says, “to think about being generous when they could.”
Fred and Nan partnered with the Community Foundation for Monterey County in 2014 by establishing a donor advised fund. Fred generously contributed to the fund through his estate and several of their children have been named successor advisors. In this way, the family’s tradition of philanthropy will continue for generations to come. “It was part of what we did together, and I am glad that it will continue.” Nan adds.
Today, Nan looks forward to the ongoing support of the causes they cared about, particularly the arts, the environment and education. Through their fund and the involvement of their children, Fred and Nan’s shared commitment to giving will continue to make a difference far into the future.