Nancy S. Hanby

Nancy Stevens Lowd Hanby, 91, of Benton Harbor passed away on Friday, Dec. 9, 2022, at Hanson Hospice. Surrounded by her loving family, she is now at peace with God.

A Worship of God and celebration of life service will be at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at Starks & Menchinger Chapel & Cremation Services, 2650 Niles Road, St. Joseph, with Richard Emrich officiating. Interment will be held privately in Riverview Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to The Salvation Army. Those wishing to share a memory of Nancy online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com.

Nancy was born on Nov. 19, 1931, in Amesbury, Mass., to the late Rev. Harry Stevens Lowd and Katharine Emrich Lowd. She grew up in the parsonage of the Pilgrim Congregational Church of Merrimac, Mass., and of the Evangelical Church in South Easton, Mass., and loved being a "preacher's kid."

She graduated from Oliver Ames High School in North Easton, Mass., in 1949 and from Bates College in Lewiston, Maine in 1953. She later completed graduate social work courses at Michigan State University.

Nancy began her professional career in social work in 1954 in Hartford, Conn., and continued as a caseworker and counselor in public and private agencies until retirement in 1996. Her last 17 years of social work were on the staff of Child and Family Services in St. Joseph. During that time, she also served with Hospice at Home.

On Aug. 2, 1958, Nancy married Kenneth Roger Hanby in North Orange, Mass., with her father officiating. It was a marriage of love, nurturing, support and adventures. The family then went through a series of moves from New England to Pennsylvania to Washington, D.C., to Ohio to Indiana, and eventually stopping in St. Joseph in 1979.

Nancy was a part of a Christian church from the day of her birth to her death. Her faith in God was central in her life.

She was a member of Riverview Park Christian Church since 1979, when her husband became pastor of that congregation. She was active in the church as a church school teacher, an elder spearheading the shepherding program, a church historian, a leader of the women's program, a chair of the search committee, and a chair of the women's retreat at the Crystal Conference Center. She volunteered in earlier years as a Camp Fire leader, a social worker for a community agency, a facilitator for parenting classes, and as a chaplain at Corewell Health South.

Nancy was fond of travel around the United States and Europe. She took several trips and had numerous experiences with her daughters, grandchildren, and many friends. She had a great love of photography and enjoyed creating albums both of genealogy and family events. She loved the lake, wild flowers, and hikes at Sarett Nature Center. She enjoyed continued friendships from school years, and the many places she lived, especially locally.

Nancy is survived by her three precious daughters: Kate (Chris) Dillingham, Lisa Sheppard and Jennifer (Dan) Postello; four grandchildren: Mike (Bridgette) Sheppard, Tim Sheppard, Chris (Kimberlie) Postello and Rachel Postello; three great-grandchildren: Landon, Killian and Brooke Sheppard; and a special lifelong friend, Priscilla Weismann; a dear friend, Gloria Muth; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.

Nancy was preceded in death by her parents; husband; sister, Hilda Sturm and brother, Fred Lowd.