Nancy Ellen Sinclair

Nancy Ellen Sinclair, 77, of Chicago, passed away in the early morning on December 28, 2025 in her home.
Nancy was born March 15, 1948 in Elkhart, Indiana to big-hearted parents, Rosemary and Art Sinclair. The family eventually moved to Lake Bluff, Illinois where Nancy grew up. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History from Kalamazoo College and then a Master of Social Work from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Nancy lived and worked most of her life in Chicago and appreciated the opportunities it provided. She loved the vibrancy of downtown, the ever-changing skyline, and the serenity of Lake Michigan. Nancy was an avid reader and wordsmith. Her sarcastic wit brought chuckles to the dinner table and her candor was appreciated by those who had the privilege of knowing her.
Nancy's extensive career in social work spanned many areas, mostly focusing on supporting young mothers. She shaped programs at multiple organizations in her career, the final two being Saint Joseph Hospital and the Ounce of Prevention Fund. Nancy built community wherever she went starting with her Methodist church youth group, continuing in her college study abroad program to west Africa, and later with the Northside Parents Network, Hawthorne PTA, 3600 Magnolia block party, her breakfast club, multiple book clubs, Tai Chi group, and most recently her grandmother's group.
One of Nancy's great gifts was curating special experiences, be it planning most of the details for travel to new places with her husband Sid, crafting a book of memories for goddaughter Julie's 18th birthday, arranging a visit to Lincoln's birthplace with daughter-in-law Sarah, or turning their guest bedroom into a classroom for granddaughters Lizzie and Genevieve to play teacher with Nancy and Sid as the pupils. She found wonderful ways to make people feel seen, heard, and cared for.
She is survived and celebrated by her husband of 50 years, Sidney Weseman; children Katy Weseman (Sarah Riddle) and Emily Weseman (Brian Stepp); grandchildren Genevieve Stepp and Lizzie Stepp; siblings Ann (John) Loftstedt and Mary (George) Pearce; a beloved extended family including foster-sister Crystal Sahner and sister-in-law Judy Weseman; and many cherished friends.
The final six months of Nancy's life were filled with doctor visits and treatments. Her family is thankful for the many kind and caring staff at Northwestern Memorial Hospital that gave excellent care and thoughtful advice while navigating her cancer diagnosis.
Service to be held at Lakeview Funeral Home (1458 W. Belmont) on February 7, 2026. Visitation begins at 1pm with service to follow at 3pm. All are welcome.
In lieu of flowers the family invites you to honor Nancy's commitment to education and social work with a donation to the social welfare scholarship fund at the University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee via this link or the button below: https://give.uwmfoundation.org/campaigns/56011/donations/new?designation=helenbaderschoolofsocialwelfare&a=10493914 (select "social welfare scholarship fund" from the drop down).