Born on March 19, 1936, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Vance was a daughter of Frederick B. and Mary Huston.[5] She graduated from William Penn High School in 1954, and received her Registered Nursing degree from the Harrisburg Hospital's School of Nursing in 1957. She and her husband, Charles D. Vance, had two sons.[4]
Prior to elective office, she worked as a charge nurse for a long-term assisted living facility and was employed as a pediatric surgical nurse by Harrisburg Hospital.[6]
A member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives who represented the 87th district from 1991 to 2004,[4] she was appointed to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Authority (1991-1996) and the Select Committee on Rules Review (1999), and co-chaired the Select Committee on Pharmaceuticals (2000).[6]
She was then elected as the Pennsylvania State Senator from the 31st district, and served in that capacity from 2005 to 2016.[7] During her tenure, she authored twenty-five laws, including legislation that prohibited insurance companies from discriminating against domestic violence victims, expanded Pennsylvania's prescription drug benefits, and created an HMO customer "bill of rights." She also supported Domestic Violence Act 24-1996, the Pharmaceutical Assistance Contract for the Elderly, and the Tobacco Settlement Act (55-2004).[6]
On September 24, 2014, Vance voted against a Pennsylvania Senate bill (SB1182) that would have legalized medical cannabis in Pennsylvania.[8]
Vance retired from the Pennsylvania Senate on November 30, 2016.[6]
