Nancy Jane Stout

Nancy Jane Galway-Nordquist-Stout, known by many friends as “Nanc”, passed away peacefully on October 14, 2023 near Detroit, Michigan at the age of 90. Nancy was born on September 19, 1933 in Plainfield, New Jersey to Nan A. Galway (nee Arrison) and Frederick William Galway, Jr.

Nancy was raised in Montclair, New Jersey and graduated from Montclair High School in 1951. While in high school, her passion for sports became evident. Beyond being part of Latin Club and Band, Nancy was on the basketball, baseball, archery, volleyball, and tennis teams for the Mounties. Interestingly, Nancy’s family dog was also named Mountie.

She attended Green Mountain College in Vermont, where she participated at the collegiate level on the basketball and volleyball teams. She was also a leader for the Outing Club (hiking) and was elected to the Green Mountain Key Club (leadership, citizenship, academics), Athletic Association Council (campus-wide sports), and the 1953 Carnival Queen Court (notably voting criteria was based on athletic ability). Nancy earned an Associate’s Degree in Arts in 1953.

Nancy began her career on Wall Street in the Financial District of Manhattan (New York City) working for JP Morgan Bank. After starting a family in Neptune, New Jersey, she moved to Naperville, Illinois outside Chicago in 1966, just in time for the Blizzard of 1967 - still the largest Chicago snowfall on record. In the Chicagoland area, Nancy had a long and successful career in the energy and telecommunications industries, working for the Amoco Research Center, AT&T Western Electric, Lucent Technologies (formerly AT&T Bell Labs), and Alcatel.

Following the death of her daughter Sheryl, Nancy and her 2 other children, Jeff and Carolyn, ran annual neighborhood carnivals for many years to support Lurie Children's Hospital (formerly known as Children’s Memorial Hospital) in Chicago, where Sheryl was treated for leukemia. She volunteered at her children’s schools, and continued to enjoy her sports, particularly tennis, bowling, and golf. She also loved sewing, knitting, and needlepoint.

Nancy retired to a home in the Greenbrier Golf Community in New Bern, North Carolina to be closer to her brother and his wife in 1998. She looked forward to visits with family and especially enjoyed being “Nana” and doing activities with her grandchildren. She particularly loved the beach and ocean (expert at shelling); exploring the lighthouses of North Carolina and the Outer Banks; and appreciating the outdoors. She continued to love sports throughout retirement, both as a participant and spectator, including tennis, golf, bridge, bowling, and pickleball. Nancy achieved a “hole in one” in 2002 at the Emerald Golf Club and won multiple pickleball tournaments.

In 2015 Nancy moved to Dearborn, Michigan outside Detroit to be closer to her children, and earlier in 2023 moved to Clarkston, Michigan to be closer to her daughter. Michigan was also desirable as it’s a state surrounded almost entirely by coastline and has more lighthouses than any other state to explore – of which she got to tour many. Just like everyplace she lived, she quickly and easily made close friends. Everyone gravitated to Nancy who was always full of pep and sympathetic to all. Her sassy personality and quick wit endeared her to many.

Nancy always considered herself an “athlete” even into her later years with Wii bowling, cornhole, bocce ball, cards, pickleball, and golf. She credited her active lifestyle for her longevity – she always said “I love my sports!”

After effectively managing through Non-Hodgins’s Lymphoma, RS3PE (a very rare form of Rheumatoid Arthritis), and Alzheimer’s Disease for years, Nancy was surprisingly diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), a very aggressive form of blood cancer, in May of 2023 and given only 1-3 months to live. Following unsuccessful attempts with targeted therapies, she entered hospice in August, with a prognosis of only a couple additional weeks to live. As her indomitable spirit had carried her in the past, she lived another 8 weeks well past her 90th birthday to the astonishment of her doctor and the hospice staff (who called her the “Ultimate Unicorn”), all while maintaining her sassy personality and keen ability to “kid around” with everyone.

Nancy is survived by her son, Jeffrey Scott Nordquist and wife Victoria (nee Young); daughter, Carolyn Sue (nee Nordquist) and husband David Hrejsa; and three grandchildren Sienna Nordquist, Capria (nee Nordquist) and husband Drew Curtin, and Austin Nordquist. She is preceded in death by her daughter, Sheryl Ann Nordquist; father, Frederick Galway Jr.; mother, Nan Galway (nee Arrision); beloved Nana, Jennie Mae Arrison (nee Magee); sister, Janice Heyrich (nee Galway); and brother Frederick Galway.

Interment will be in Naperville Cemetery (Naperville, Illinois) with her daughter, Sheryl Nordquist. A private family remembrance and Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, celebrate Nancy's life by considering a donation to the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Association in her name.

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