Nancy Howard

Nancy was born on Christmas Eve 1939; she passed away on April 17, 2024, at the age of 84.  Nancy was the youngest of five children and she loved growing up in Jackson on W. Robinson Street.  She was a self-described tomboy who wanted to do everything her brothers Gary and Bill did.

Nancy was someone who was happy during every phase of her life.  She loved her childhood and had especially great stories about the antics and mischief that she and her friends got into as teenagers.

Nancy always wanted to travel and her wish came true when she married Hugh McDonald.  She and Hughie lived all over the country and spent a year living in England.  They hitchhiked all over Europe for six weeks in 1969.

Nancy was happy as a housewife, raising two kids as a young woman.  She was happy living in Lake Odessa, Glen Arbor, and Traverse City for 35 years in midlife.  She was happy moving back to Jackson several years ago, and she was happy at the Jackson County Medical Care Facility in the last three months of her life.

Nancy was interested and interesting, cool and hip, fun and spunky, wise and opinionated.  You could tell her anything; she never judged.  She had a good sense of self and didn't believe in living with regrets.  She was a great and loyal friend: she maintained lifelong friendships with Brenda, Sandy, and Teensy – her friends from Helmer School and Frost Junior High; with Joann from Addison Street; and with her great friend Marcia from her time in L.A. Seeing any of them together and listening to their stories made you laugh till you cried.

At her core, Nancy was just a nice and decent person.  She was a caring daughter and a good and loving mother. She loved staying on top of the news and current events, watching the Tigers play baseball, cheering for MSU basketball, playing euchre and gin rummy, doing her crosswords (in ink), and she loved her dog, Babe. She loved collecting antiques, mostly primitives, and had a pretty unique collection.

Nancy will be deeply missed by her daughter, Debbie McDonald, and son-in-law, Tim Saffles; her son, Joe McDonald, and his fiancée Aretha Ray-Kimbro; her grandchildren Kacey (Corey) Gillespie, Hugh Klavon, and Joseph McDonald; great-grandchildren Evan, Riley, and Chloe Gillespie; her brother, Gary Allen, and numerous nieces and nephews; as well as her stepchildren Val, Stewart, Ted, Lisa, Nellie, and Fannie Howard.  Nancy was preceded in death by her parents, Freddie and Lucille Allen, siblings Donna Olds, Bill Allen, and Hazel Mae (who only lived nine days).

Visitation will take place at Desnoyer Funeral Home on Monday, April 22, 2024 from 6-8 PM.  The Celebration of Life will take place at Queen of the Miraculous Medal Church at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 with a half-hour visitation before the service.  Father Tim MacDonald will officiate. Private interment will take place at West Eckford Township Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, paying it forward with acts of kindness, and contributions to St. Luke's Clinic in Jackson would be appreciated.