Thomas Nance Obituary
Thomas L. “Leroy” Nance, 101, of Pocahontas, IL, passed away peacefully, Monday, January 12, 2026, at Holy Family Hospital, Greenville, IL.
Leroy was born June 18, 1924, to Lee and Nellie (Nee Farmer) Nance, in Hartford, IL. On June 29, 1944, he married Mildred Plog in Milwaukee, WI.
He was a member of Old Ripley Church of Christ, American Legion and Masonic Lodge. He served his country during WWII working radar on bombers in the Army Air Corps. After the war, he came home and sold Army Surplus tools for a few years, then in 1948 he opened up Nance Auto Salvage and worked there until it closed in 2016. Leroy opened up 140 Mobile Home Sales in the late 1950’s, but his real love was flying. He owned a plane and flew whenever he could, all the way into his 80’s. He loved fishing at Kentucky Lake and in Oklahoma, where he would fly down to his brother’s home. He enjoyed hunting quail and pheasant. He loved his family and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren were a big part of his life. He would take them fishing, camping and water skiing, and he was still skiing until he was 75.
Leroy was preceded in death by his parents, Lee and Nell Nance; his wife, Mildred Nance; brothers, Hudson Nance, Gene Nance, Glen Nance.
He is survived by his children, Patty (Bob) Thiems, Jim (Nona) Nance; grandchildren, Brenda (Steve) Mollett, Larry (Holly) Thiems, Linda (Charles) Stearns, Kay Lynn (David Pate) Nance, Ryan (Allison) Nance; great-grandchildren, Katelynn Mollett, Kaeden Mollett, Casey Thiems, Cara (Chandler) Bane, J. T. Thiems, Chad (Emily) Stearns, Charlee Stearns, Kate Nance, Ryleigh Nance; great-great-grandchildren, Bodee Bane, Annie Bane, Tate Bane; many beloved nieces and nephews.
Memorials may be made to Brown Cemetery or Old Ripley Church of Christ.
Visitation: Saturday, January 17, 2026, from 9:00 to 11:00 am at Meridith Funeral Home, Pocahontas, IL.
Funeral: Saturday, January 17, 2026, at 11:00 am at Meridith Funeral Home, Pocahontas, IL.
Clergy: Rev. Tom Plogue
Interment: Brown Cemetery, Old Ripley.
Meridith Funeral Home, Pocahontas, IL.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
102 Moreland St., Pocahontas, IL 62275
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