Born in Wausau WI, daughter of the late Win and Mary Freund. Nancy died on Saturday, November 7, 2020 at the age of 74. Though Alzheimer’s Disease stole her memory, her wit and humor (yes, she could be really funny) always continued to shine. Beloved wife for forty-five years of the late Bill Warner. Loving mother of Katie (Curt) Warner-Smith. Proud and cherished grandmother “Nani” of Emma, William, Elizabeth and Charlie. Dear sister of Gretchen Egan and of the late Bob Freund. Aunt of Meg (Theran) Peterson and their two children Annie and Ben, Hannah Freund, and of the late Patrick Egan. Further survived by many beloved in-laws, nieces, nephews and cherished friends.
Known for her polo shirts with a popped collar, large silver earrings, and khaki pants, Nancy was a loyal friend and loving wife and mother. She relished her role as “Nani” to Emma, William, Elizabeth and Charlie with many bedtime tuck-ins, treks around the garden and corrections to their grammar, all of which will be greatly missed. After graduating from UW-Madison Nancy found a job as a reporter for the Milwaukee Sentinel. Ironically, she never enjoyed writing but loved to edit. UW-Milwaukee is where she found her happiness as an editor in News and Publications for more than 30 years. A competitive athlete, she was a lifelong tennis player and could drive a golf ball farther than most of the men she played with. Nancy and Bill were avid bridge players and had a spirted group of four couples who played monthly for decades. After retiring she could be found spending hours tending to her gardens and chasing out the unwanted pests, often to the delight of her grandchildren. Like her father, Nancy had a love of the English language and even as her disease progressed, she never lost her rich vocabulary and ability to communicate. For that we are so grateful.
In her last year she resided at Silverado North Shore, where the entire community was her home and all were welcome! The family would like to extend a very heartfelt thank you to the many loving caregivers at Silverado (Erin, Cindy, Jessie and Stephanie to name a few) for their patience and time spent loving Nancy when family could not be with her.
Private family services will be held. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Nancy’s name may be made to the Silverado Employee Fund (they are doing yeoman’s work right now), 7800 N. Green Bay Rd., Glendale, WI 53217 or the Alzheimer’s Association, 620 S. 76th Street, Suite 160, Milwaukee, WI 53214, would be greatly appreciated.
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