Nancy Marie Stubbs (*nee Murdock), passed away May 18th, 2026, at the age of 77. Nancy was born in Cleveland, OH in July 1948 and was the third of eight siblings. She and her older siblings helped take care of the younger siblings, passed time playing with paper dolls and ran amok outdoors. They took annual summer road trips all piled in the station wagon to visit relatives at the family farm in Fremont, OH and to her grandparent's, Floyd and Anne Murdock's, house in Cleveland, OH. Through all this close bonding she developed a fierce love for family. Trouble often found her from being the only one left behind accidentally at a truck stop during one of their frequent road trips to taking a hoof to the head by a goat to getting stuck in a barbed wire fence, and no matter the obstacle she lived her life to the fullest and with a smile.

She attended St. James School in Arlington Heights, IL for early education and attended Sacred Heart of Mary High School in Rolling Meadows, IL, graduating in 1966. During high school she was a candy striper at Northwest Community Hospital and worked at Hickory Farms and loved music and going to dances. Having great compassion and empathy, she pursued an education and career in nursing beginning by attending Columbus Hospital School of Nursing in Chicago, IL graduating as a registered nurse in 1969; then the College of Saint Francis in Joliet, IL, graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Health Arts in December 1977. She went on to complete a Master of Science in Health Services Administration at the College of Saint Francis in Joliet, IL, in August 1988.

Nancy was a dedicated nurse practicing in multiple settings from Delnor and other hospitals to home health with various entities to administration at Bethany Rehabilitation & Health Center always dedicating her life to helping the sick, injured, and less fortunate. She frequently volunteered her time and energy towards different charitable organizations and her parishes, was a loving foster parent, Den mother to cub scouts, a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) teacher and devoted parishioner of Saint Mary's Catholic Church in Sycamore, IL and St. John Neumann Catholic Church in St. Charles, IL. Her faith was a source of strength, wisdom and love, and she had a special affinity for St. Francis of Assisi who gave everything he had to those that needed it most especially all creatures great and small.

She devoured books on history and other subjects, danced with abandon to the Beatles, tended flower and vegetable gardens with a very green thumb, enjoyed sewing and created beautiful arts and crafts, and cooked regularly for Hope Haven homeless shelter while also enjoying cooking for friends, family and neighbors all while leaving enough for leftovers. She loved to entertain and to be entertained, hosting parties and dinners, and frequently attending concerts and theatre productions. Her raucous laughter could always be heard from the other side of the house. She raised many dogs with the same love as she would show her children. She almost always had a pet at her side, with fur babies Honey, Rocky, Marble, Present, Samantha, Snowball, and Scarlet (all but one adoptions) leaving an indelible mark on her heart. She was proud and celebrated her Irish heritage with a Bailey's on ice and a firm "Erin go Bragh!" Nancy loved to travel anywhere, period. She often talked about her trips to our wonderful National Parks, two trips to Europe, a trip to Ireland, a cruise to Alaska, but she retained a special love for her parents' lake cottage in Waupaca, WI. That was where her extended family would gather for holidays, birthdays, boating and skiing, drinking Manhattans and beer on the beach, enjoying a campfire, swimming the entire length of the lake, taking the dogs to Swan Park or Hartman's Creek, and sharing good company around a Wheelhouse pizza or Scooper's ice cream cone.

Left to cherish her memory and honor her are her dearly loved children Erin (Dave) Anderson, Kent Ladenberger, James Michael (Jonna) Carmany-Stubbs, Patrick (Sara) Stubbs and her adoring grandchildren, Declan, Caden and Ainsley Anderson who brought her immense pride and joy. She is survived by her husband, Craig Stubbs, her beloved sisters, Marilyn (Thomas) Gollan, Margaret (Arthur) Wolf, Suzanne Parent, Karen (Don) Mon, Elizabeth (Walter) Williams, Kathleen Rush, and brother, Michael Murdock, and her many treasured nieces and nephews and sweet great-nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her loving parents, William and Margaret Murdock (nee Brunner) of Arlington Heights, Illinois and Waupaca, Wisconsin.

Her legacy will live on with every mouth she fed, hug she gave, and hand she held, dog she made homemade cookies for and life she touched.

Her Funeral Service will begin with a visitation in the Narthex at 10:00 a.m. followed by a Funeral Mass at 11:00 a.m. at St. Peter Catholic Church in Geneva, IL on Friday June 12, 2026, with a luncheon off-site to follow.

A graveside committal service will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday June 13, 2026, at St. Mary Magdalene Cemetery in Waupaca, WI.

Memorial donations in Nancy's memory can be made to the following:

American Diabetes Association

https://diy-diabetes.donordrive.com/campaigns/Memorial-for-Nancy-Stubbs;

DeKalb County Animal Services (DCAS), https://dekalbanimalservices.com/donate/

Arrangements were completed by the Butala Funeral Home of Sycamore, IL. For information or to sign the online guest book, go to www.ButalaFuneralHomes.com