Nancy Lou Theis

Nancy Lou Theis, age 85, died peacefully on December 19, 2025. Nancy was born on April 16, 1940, in New Haven, Connecticut. She was the only child of Louis and Mildred Burgey. Nancy graduated from West Haven High School in 1957 and attended Southern Connecticut State College with a major in early childhood education. She married Charles H. Theis, who she met on a blind date, in 1961. Since Chuck started out in the Air Force, they moved all over the country starting in Biloxi, Mississippi. They spent many years in Vestal, New York and in Sayville, New York raising their three daughters. Their final move was in 2002 to Rossmoor in Monroe, New Jersey. Nancy passed away at Sunrise of Madison, New Jersey where she had resided since 2021.
Once her daughters were older, Nancy started teaching at a preschool in Vestal. She continued her love of teaching young children at various schools in Vestal and Sayville. Her other love was crafting of all kinds including dry floral. After Chuck had a major heart attack in 1992, Nancy created a Christmas angel which she sold and donated a portion of the proceeds to the American Heart Association. Due to the success of the Angel and other products, she started her own business – Creative Expressions later known as Cranberry Cottage. It became a joint business with Chuck as they traveled to various craft shows together and he would also make wooden pieces Nancy would paint or use for her arrangements. One floral arrangement was sent to the White House by a customer and a personalized thank-you note was received from President & Hillary Clinton.
Nancy was a sweet, kind, loving mother, wife and grandmother who left us with many wonderful memories, especially those around the Christmas holiday, which was her favorite time of the year.
Nancy is survived by her two daughters, Kori Willis & her husband Peter and Tricia Tom & her husband Kevin along with her four grandchildren – Jake Willis, Nicole Willis, Victoria Tom and Alexandra Tom. She is predeceased by her husband, Chuck in 2007 and her daughter Karla in 1996.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America at www.alzfdn.org
Celebration Of Life
Thursday, January 8, 2026
5:00PM - 7:00PM
Fairmount Country Club (Timmons House - 2nd Floor)
400 Southern Blvd.
Chatham, NJ 07928
Burial service will be held in Sayville, NY – details TBD.