Nancy Tieszen, a former Hinsdale and Oak Brook resident, passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 20, 2024, in her home at Goddard House, Brookline, Mass.
Nancy, 97, was born in Raleigh, N.C., and spent her formative years in Springfield, Mo. She graduated from Purdue University in 1949 and began her graduate studies in statistics there, where she met her future husband, Mel Tieszen. Married in 1952, they settled in the Chicago area to raise their family. Their three children graduated from Hinsdale Central High School, and the family were active at Grace Episcopal Church in Hinsdale.
Nancy worked tirelessly to support her husband in their business, Flavor Tree Foods, until it was sold in the 1980s. She had a great zest for life and adventure and a keen sense of style and fun, One of the greatest joys of her life was serving as a longtime member of the National Ski Patrol. She was also a Master bridge player, a ballroom dancer, a garden enthusiast and a Cubs season ticket holder who saw her team make it to the 2016 World Series. She was active in her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, even decades after her graduation.
Nancy was persistently curious and loved to travel the world with her husband, children and friends; some favorite adventures included attending Wimbledon in her 20s and visits to the Galapagos Islands, Turkey, Greece, France and Italy. She and her children enjoyed trips to Switzerland, Mexico, New Mexico, Germany and Cuba. Later in life, Nancy enjoyed listening to books on tape, often biographies and mysteries.
Once settled in Brookline, she joined Grace Church, Newton Corner. Nancy loved life and held onto it tenaciously. She will be remembered for her sense of independence, positivity, perseverance and for showing up for the people and causes she cared most about. She was widely loved and will be missed by us all.
She is survived by her three children, Lisa (David Adams), Lori (Tom Gilhooly), and John (Lesa Tieszen); and three grandchildren, Mercer Gary (Ben Randolph), Hannah Tieszen and Jack Tieszen.
Services are private.
Memorials are appreciated to Perkins School for the Blind (www.perkins.org) or Good Shepherd Community Hospice (www.gscommunitycare.org/Good-Shepherd-Community-Hospice).
To share a memory of Nancy or to send a note of condolence to her family, visit http://www.eatonandmackay.com.
