Nancy Lee Heil

Nancy Heil, age 89, passed away on February 17, 2026. She passed peacefully with her daughter by her side. Nancy was born on September 30, 1936, in Wausau, Wisconsin to the late Charles and Ida (Haufshildt) Brown.

Nancy graduated from Wausau West High School in 1955 and married Dennis Heil on December 26, 1955. Nancy and Dennis lived for a short time in Mobile, AL while Dennis was in the military. After Dennis had served his 4 years, they returned to Wausau. Not long after Nancy went to work full-time for Wausau Supply company, while Dennis started the family business Denny's Standard. Nancy started working with her husband when he purchased another location for Denny's Standard and opened Northway Sports. Once they were back down to one station Nancy went to work for CIT Financial, where she worked her way up to manager of the finance company and trained many employees who had success in the financial industry. Nancy joined Dennis running the family business again after they opened a new c-store and service station, Denny's Auto Tech on Stewart Avenue. Even after the sudden death of her husband, she continued working at the business until it's closure.

Nancy had an unbelievable work ethic and truly loved working. Even in retirement she continued to work for Randlin Homes into her 80s!

Nancy lived a full and vibrant life, she loved traveling! She didn't have any fear of new places! In the mid 60's she drove with her sister, two 5-year-old kids, and a baby out to Syracuse NY, to visit her niece, Diane. She went on to visit Syracuse New York again after her niece had married her husband, Bill. Nancy and family made many trips to Milwaukee to visit her brother George and his wife Eleanor. Once Dennis joined retail gasoline dealers, they made trips all over the state, they also traveled to Boston, Kentucky, California, Oregon, and Seattle for national conventions. As a family they traveled up through Canada and down the east coast, to Puerto Vallarta Mexico, Disneyland and Disneyworld, Hawaii, various Caribbean cruises, California, the Catalina islands, as well as many trips to Las Vegas once her niece moved there. Nancy also traveled to watch her daughter Dee dance throughout her ballroom dance career. She also traveled with her sister Sharon, brother George and wife Eleanor, to Branson and up through South Dakota into the black hills.

When Dennis was alive the family had a cottage on Lake Nokomis, after that she had a permanent campsite up north where she made many memories.

Nancy loved shopping, once you got her in a store you would be there for more than a couple hours. She also loved going out to dinner, she would have gone every night of the week is she could have. She especially loved going to the casino and playing bingo. She and sister Sharon went on the bus to casinos quite regularly.

Nancy had a lifelong love of collecting dolls, her collection containing somewhere around 380 Barbies, 250+ porcelain baby dols, and all the buggies, strollers, and highchairs to go with them.

Nancy loved spending time with family and truly enjoyed any family gathering. She loved talking politics with Dee's husband Doug! She was very happy to enjoy watching her daughter and grandchildren grow and to see them find healthy, happy marriages and on good paths in life. She found a new joy when her great-grandson Alexander was born and had wanted to meet the new grandbabies that will be born soon. But that was not God's plan.

Known for honesty and straightforward nature, Nancy never left anyone guessing where she stood- but her words always came from a place of love and sincerity.

She is survived by her daughter, Denise (Doug) Heil-Herbst; her grandchildren, Erica (Geoff) Mondroski and Logan (Kassie) Heil; and her great-grandson, Alexander Mondroski. She is also survived by sister-in-law Cheryl Heil, her niece Diane (Bill) Omara who was like a sister, and her best friends. She survives many nieces, nephews, and their children, all of whom she considered immediate family.

Nancy was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Dennis A. Heil; her son Dennis J. "DJ" Heil; her siblings, Sharon (Leonard) Frank, Phyllis (Victor) Bradfish, Gordon (Joyce) Brown, Violet (Wally) Martens, George (Eleanor) Brown, and Charles (Clara) Brown, and brother-in-law Richard Heil.

Memorial service will take place at 11:00 AM on March 7, 2026, at Restlawn Memorial Park. There will be a celebration of life immediately following the services at Hutches on Stewart Avenue.

Family and friends may leave words of remembrance at MWCS.WS

Mid Wisconsin Cremation Society is assisting the family.

The family of Nancy would like to send a special thank you to all of the caretakers at the Wood Aven nursing home, especially Jane and Jahnika. Thanks to Pat her roommate who became a good friend to her. To Kathy and all those at Aspirus Hospice, you were great! Thanks to Cheri, Connie, Jeff, and Diane, those visits meant a lot!

Nancy's warmth, honesty, adventurous spirit, and unwavering love for her family will be deeply missed and forever remembered.