Nancy Strand (née Leabhard), 77, of Oak Park, died on April 4, 2021. Born in Oak Park, she graduated from OPRF High School in 1961 and the University of Illinois Champaign in 1965. In her professional life she was a well-respected advertising executive. Outside of her work life, her interests included gardening, knitting, the arts, nature, and bird watching. She pursued all she did with passion and talent. It took years, but she and her husband Jack successfully restored their Victorian house with loving care, creating a beautiful and welcoming home. She remained well connected to her high school class by being the webmaster of their website, providing a platform for classmates to communicate with each other.
She loved family, antiquing road trips, her fish pond, childhood summers spent at Twin Lakes, Wisconsin, feral cats, Dean Martin, books on tape, quiet nights at home watching old movies with Jack, and making ravioli from her grandmother’s recipe with her three sisters for the holidays. Strong, loving, quiet, elegant, organized, and meticulous are all words describing the woman, wife, sister, aunt, and community member that was Nancy Strand. She will be missed.
Nancy was the wife of Jack Strand; the sister of Joyce Stockholm, Gail and Frank Paris, and Jane and Don Stahlhut; the third daughter of the late Virginia and Arthur Leabhard; and the aunt of Julie (Terry) Powers, Jon Stockholm, Marty Paris, Arthur (Cassandra) Paris, Amy Paris, Beth (TJ) Cohen, Nathan (Jenny) Stahlhut, and Gwyn Stahlhut.
Donations are appreciated to PAWS of Chicago and/or Children’s Place Association of Chicago.
A memorial service and celebration of Nancy’s life will be held at a later date.
