Nancy St. John

Many things can be said about Nancy St. John. Known to friends and acquaintances as a friendly, energetic, empathic and decisive woman, her compassionate nature would always shine through, revealing her charm, warmth and conscientious demeanor. She was warmhearted, gentle and organized in all the things she sought to accomplish. Nancy was a mentor, a natural “teacher” capable of seeing things clearly, leading others and bringing out the best in all of those around her. She generally had a focus on harmony and peace. Nancy was born on September 10, 1939 at at her home - 1421 Vinal St. in Toledo, OH. Her parents were Richard & Marie (Bosen) Donley. Nancy was raised in Martin, OH. When she was young, Nancy's friends and family found that “straightforward” and “honest” were perfect words to describe her. Even as a child, Nancy demonstrated strong qualities of self-confidence, perceptive ability and a disposition that was enjoyable to those around her. Nancy grew up with seven siblings. She had four sisters: Jane, Roberta, Arlene and Shirely; and three brothers: Richard, Duane and Terry. Nancy was constantly involved in all sorts of activities with her family. She was even-tempered, taking care not to get involved in too many family conflicts. This quality served her well, in perpetually bringing harmony, understanding and a sense of peace to the family. Nancy carried these traits into her adult life and served as one of many reasons why family and friends found her pleasurable and delightful to be around. Nancy was a person who genuinely understood and cared for others, making powerful connections with those she knew. As a young girl, Nancy was imaginative, ingenious, clever and a “novel” thinker. Regardless of whether her peers were older or younger, or came from different backgrounds, Nancy could easily relate to other kids. She was an active child who took part in baseball. In her spare time she liked picking wild strawberries and riding her bike. However, to Nancy, the most fun to be had was simply playing and spending time with her many friends. During her high school years, Nancy had a natural flair for cheering on and applauding just about everyone. She was constantly offering her support and encouragement to fellow members of the groups and activities in which she participated. She graduated from Genoa High School in 1957. She did well in school and genuinely enjoyed telling stories in a way that drew people to her. In this way, Nancy had a talent for becoming the center of attention, a kind of social catalyst. Nancy was often found to be the lead person facilitating a group activity, frequently filling the role of being “the life of the party.” Teachers and classmates knew Nancy as an excellent listener. She placed a high value on learning and always understood that there was a new lesson to be grasped waiting for her just around the corner. The teacher she enjoyed learning from the most was Mr. Firestone. She played Varsity basketball, a member of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), was a member of GAA (Genoa Athletic Association) and played softball. Always considered a “good” friend, Nancy sought to understand the things that others enjoyed. For this reason Nancy always seemed to possess a never-ending collection of acquaintances. Nancy’s friends found her easy to know and get along with because of her talent for being socially at ease, adept at conversation, and always amiable in her dealings with others. Nancy would always seek to learn what her friends enjoyed, and she would go out of her way to make sure that their needs were met. Nancy was always seen as the type of person who was the more gracious giver. In fact, she sometimes felt ill at ease when she was the one on the receiving end. Throughout her life she had many friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Sandy Albright, Vivian (King) Chambers, Jim & Bob Cornell, Anna Marie Gould, & Gertrude Eckerman. Later in life, she became friends with Nancy Gallaher and everyone else she knew. On May 31, 1958 Nancy married Lester Thomas St. John at the St. Ignatius Catholic Church of Oregon. Compassionate and devoted, Nancy worked hard to make her new family happy. She was always generous with her time and this meant that Les came first in Nancy’s book. She was always caring and made certain that she considered Les’s feelings. By trusting her emotions, Nancy did her best to make sure that both the marriage and home life ran smoothly. This is just one more example of how Nancy was truly a person of empathy. Nancy’s quality of being a caring and tolerant person who was very accepting of others translated to being a good mother to her children. Nancy shared these values with her six children, two daughters: Vicky and Tammi; and four sons: Tim, Keith, Kevin & Tom. Nancy was also blessed with 12 grandkids, Lyndsey, Kyle, Gavin, Rob, Jenny, Ben, Michael, Andrew, Amanda, Carly, Jared & Garrett. Nancy related well to children of all ages and was able to connect to them on their level. The children always loved her and she was completely and totally devoted to them. Nancy experienced success in her work life over and over again. Her primary occupation was a domestic engineer. She was employed for two years for Rossford Ordinance Depot until she began having children. Nancy always made the effort to understand what was needed at work, and was well known by her colleagues as a team player. Nancy took pride in managing her professional responsibilities and seemed to always know what was necessary to successfully complete a project. Nancy was one to take the initiative and her skills at working cooperatively were highly valued. Nancy continually sought to learn what her co-workers did well and how they were most effective, a talent that enabled her to help them develop their own potential. Because she was organized and methodical, Nancy took great pleasure in her various hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were crocheting, cross stitching, woodworking, cooking, sewing, wonderword puzzles, gardening and all types of craft projects. Nancy enjoyed sharing her passions with others and could singularly focus on one hobby at a time. Nancy derived much satisfaction from sports. Because she was so instinctive and could always grasp the big picture, Nancy delighted in the strategy and inner workings of a competition. In high school, Nancy played basketball and softball. Recreational sports included swimming, croquet, basketball and hiking. Nancy was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite teams' events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were football, basketball and figure skating plus all of the Olympic games. Throughout her life, Nancy was actively involved in professional and community organizations. With a talent for focusing in on exactly what was required to be completed, Nancy was known to her peers as being able to strengthen any group endeavor. When called on, Nancy was a natural leader who created harmony and good relationships within the group, often putting her own needs aside. Nancy’s involvement could easily help structure and organize any part of an organization. An added benefit was Nancy’s ability to bring valued principles along with her. In high school, Nancy was a member of the FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America). Throughout her later years, Nancy was an active member of the Precious Moments Collectors Club. Nancy’s faith was important to her. She was a member of St. Ignatius Chuch for 55 years. She was compassionate and warm hearted, someone who truly cared for others and that was clearly demonstrated in her work with the congregation. Nancy enjoyed traveling, and because she was so well organized, she would take on the responsibility of planning and scheduling all of the family vacations. Her gift for keeping things lively meant that vacations with Nancy were always enjoyable. Favorite vacations included visiting her sister in El Paso, TX and going to Yellowstone National Park, the New England states. She loved to travel. Nancy was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. One of Nancy's favorite was Jose', a parakeet. Her family was rounded out by her parakeets Jose' and Hoot. When Nancy’s retirement finally came, she semi-retired when the children grew up, she was well prepared. Being the focused and organized person that she was, Nancy had taken care to plan for this part of her life. When that time eventually arrived, Nancy knew exactly what she wanted to do. In retirement, she found new pleasure in playing with her computer, making cards for family, collecting her Precious Moments and traveling wherever Les would take her and spending time with her grandchildren. Even in retirement, Nancy continued to stay in touch with her old friends and made plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in the community and felt fulfilled. Nancy passed away on July 25, 2013 at at her home, with her family. She chose to live her time with her family, with as much quality fo life as possible. She is survived by her husband, Les; children Vicky, Tim, Keith, Kevin, Tom and Tammi; grandchildren: Lyndsey, Rob, Jenny, Kyle, Gavin, Ben, Michael, Andrew, Amanda, Carly, Jerod and Garrett. Services were held at Hoeflinger-Bolander Funeral Home. Nancy was laid to rest in St. Ignatius Catholic Church Cemetery in Oregon, Ohio. Throughout her life, Nancy was a gregarious and enthusiastic woman. She was generous in sharing her personal attributes, giving and helping those she knew and loved. She would often fill the role of coach, bringing out the best in everyone. She was imaginative, original, tender hearted and easy to get along with. Nancy leaves behind her a legacy of life-long friendships and cherished memories. Everyone whose lives she touched will dearly remember Nancy St. John.