Nancy P. Duffield

Nancy P. Duffield 9/17/1932 – 4/19/2025

Nancy was born in 1932 in Pittsburgh, PA to Michael and Amelda Perzak and went home to Jesus on Holy Saturday, April 2025.

She was the revered wife of Guy (Duff) Duffield for sixty years, beloved mother of Tom, Lisa (Les) Kelton and Barbara (Jay) Peak, proud grandmother of Corey, Austin, Tommy (Alexis) and Jonah, and elated great-grandmother of Ezra.

Nancy graduated from Thiel College in Greenville, PA and worked as a medical technologist at McLaren Hospital in Flint.  She married Duff on June 23, 1956.  They purchased their first house in Waterford, Michigan after briefly renting in Milford.   Nancy gave birth to their first child in late 1957 and stayed home to raise their family.  As more children came along, the couple moved to the other end of Watkins Lake to a house on Lakewood Drive which was their ultimate destination in creating a family home.  Nancy returned to the Med Tech field decades later, working for Diversified Laboratories in Waterford.

Nancy was an active member of First Presbyterian Church Pontiac for nearly 70 years, and she was especially dedicated to Presbyterian Women both locally and regionally. She loved leading Bible studies and devotions.

Nancy embodied the can-do attitude of many of her generation.  She frequented the Farmers’ Market and grew and canned the produce from her own garden.  She knit and sewed all kinds of clothing for herself, family, friends, and others.  She dug and planted beautiful flower gardens at their home, subsequently learning and then excelling at china painting with floral themes, creating an extensive collection of pretty and practical treasures.

Later years allowed Nancy and Duff a chance to travel to many places in the United States, as well as make trips to Europe and Central America.  Despite the distances, they maintained special relationships with their grandchildren both by visiting them at their homes in Texas and New York state, and by hosting adventures in Michigan.  They spent hours with their grandkids in the backyard pool, on Watkins Lake, at Cooley School, and at the Waterford Nature Center, Detroit Zoo, and The Henry Ford.  Nancy volunteered as a costumed docent at the Wisner Home (Oakland History Center) and especially enjoyed teaching groups of children about home life in the 1800s.

Nancy experienced the last chapter of earthly life at Canterbury-on-the Lake in Waterford where she lived for seven years surrounded by old and new friends.  She relished the comradery and many, many interesting and fun activities there, especially the day trips and weekly Pins and Needles meetings. Nancy loved going to dinner in the dining room and its opportunity to catch up with her Canterbury family members. 

A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at 11:00 in the Chapel at Canterbury-on-the-Lake with a luncheon following.  

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Nancy P. Duffield, please visit our floral store.