Nancy Wicker

1925 - 2016

Nancy Deborah Wicker

Born: December 11, 1925; in Canton, OH

Died: May 2, 2016; in Belvidere, IL

Nancy Wicker lived in five different countries and a Chicago neighborhood named after her family, but since 1999 she chose to live on fourteen acres in McHenry County. And she was never happier.

Nancy Deborah Wicker was born to Ireene (nee Seaton) and Walter Charles Wicker in Chicago. Her family moved to New York when she was 10 years old. She moved back to Chicago in 1992, living in the Wicker Park neighborhood - a part of the City named after her great-grandfather, Charles G. Wicker, donor of the park and designer of the neighborhood.

Nancy, a gifted sculptor, created the bronze statue of Charles Wicker that stands in Wicker Park today. She also created the Lisa Derman memorial sculpture in Spring Grove.

In 1999, Nancy moved from Chicago to a farm near Harvard where she began caring for a horse named Beth who had been rescued from a barn fire and needed a home. Nancy's thoughts soon turned to returning her property to natural habitat and keeping it that way. After restoring the woods and wetlands in 2002, Nancy decided to protect the 14-acre property from future development by placing it in a conservation easement. While in McHenry County, she volunteered for H'ARTS (Harvard-area residents who support art in the Harvard public schools), Main Stay Therapeutic Farm in Richmond, and The Land Conservancy of McHenry County in Woodstock. Nancy was a member of the McHenry County Jewish Congregation in Ridgefield.

Nancy was a life-long Democrat and active in the Civil Rights and Environmental movements for most of her life. She was a talented pianist and gifted painter, coming from a long-line of talented female artists.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Walter Charles, Jr.; her son, Michael Charles; her husband, Arieh Eilan, and many happy rescue animals that included yellow labs, horses and goats.

Nancy is survived by many friends who miss her dearly, including her caretaker and friend, Angie Beetstra, Mary C., Cynthia, Wendy and her cousin Patty Lynott.

A gathering to celebrate her life will be held at a later date.

Gifts may be made in her memory to the above-mentioned organizations.