Nancy May Sexton

Nancy May (Baker) Sexton was born September 18, 1936 and left us October 24, 2024. Nancy was born to Samuel David Baker and Nora (Simerl) Baker in Downing, Missouri in September of 1936. She was the second child produced by this union, the first being her sister Mary, who was born in 1932. Shortly before the onset of WWII Nancy migrated with her family to Detroit, Michigan where she would spend the rest of her life. She attended Western High School in Detroit, graduated early in 1953 and eagerly joined the workforce, landing a job with Michigan Bell as an operator that same year. After some time at Bell, she accepted a position with the Abraham Harris company as a bookkeeper where she worked for over 20 years. She left Harris after the passing of the company founder and worked briefly for the United States Postal Service before accepting her last position, one with The State of Michigan, in what was then the Department of Social Services. She remained with the state until her retirement in September of 1997. It was during Nancy's early years at the Harris Company that her brother-in-law, Mary's husband Ron McGregor, would introduce her to James Joseph Sexton, the man she would marry on July 26, 1958. Nancy and "Jim" would have two sons, one born in 1959, the other in 1963. The family would grow to include two grandsons before Jim(sr.)'s passing in February of 1996. Tragic as the loss of her husband was for her, she was buoyed by the innate determination and optimism that are the hallmarks of her character. The tools of self-reliance she learned in her youth served her well as she passed the balance of her life alone, as many widows do. In recent years Nancy was blessed with a bounty of great-grandchildren, rekindling her spirit and refortifying her ever-present maternal passion. Sadly, as is too common in life, her unconditional commitment to family, unwavering support of those she loved and often unrequited devotion worked to her detriment. No longer here to feed the insatiable desire for more, her kindness and sacrifices will soon be forgotten by those she loved most. After retirement Nancy remained active to the extent her health allowed. Working as a poll worker allowed her to stay active in the community while keeping her apprised of local politics. In recent years, however, declining health prevented her from working most elections. Nancy had many interests but what she enjoyed most was watching her family thrive. A better job, a new car, anything that brought joy to her family gave her happiness. Her lifelong dream was to see her family enjoy prosperity and the security it provides in what she knew all too well is an unpredictable world. Nancy was preceded in death by her husband Jim, her son Michael David Sexton, her parents, Sam and Nora, sister Mary, brother-in-law Ron, and numerous in-laws and friends. She is survived by her eldest son, two grandsons and a flourishing bevy of great-grandchildren, along with many loving in-laws, nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to your favorite charity.