Nancy Louise (York) Hitchon
HITCHON, YORK, COONAN, WEBER, MCCARTHY, DVORSKY
Posted By: Sarah Fletcher (email)
Date: 6/18/2024 at 12:10:57
Nancy Louise (York) Hitchon passed away peacefully on May 9 at home with her family. She was 71.
Nancy was born on October 12, 1952, in Davenport, Iowa to Gordon and Elizabeth (Coonan) York. As a child, she lived with her family on Locust Street and later on Elm Street. Though an only child, she had a wonderful childhood growing up with her cousins Ann McCarthy Weber, Frank McCarthy, and Josie Dvorsky. She would run errands on her bike, go ice skating at Duck Creek and Vander Veer Parks, and stop by Lagomarcino’s on special occasions.
She is a graduate of McKinley Elementary School and Assumption High School. She enjoyed playing acoustic guitar and painting. She attended St. Ambrose University, received her Registered Nursing degree from Franciscan Hospital in Rock Island, and thereafter worked in Pediatrics at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. She served as head Nurse on 1West until 1979.
Nancy and Patrick married at St. Thomas More Catholic Church on May 6, 1978.
They welcomed three children together: Jennifer, Joseph, and Courtney. She was devoted to her children and loved participating in school activities, attending every violin, piano, and cello performance, as well as football games and swim meets.
Nancy was also an avid gardener, taking great care of her yard, including flower, vegetable, and herb gardens. She was particularly nurturing and protective of the towering trees she had planted from saplings. She loved all animals, and attentively cared for many family dogs and cats, as well as the birds and other wildlife in her own backyard. When she developed back pain four years ago, she thought she had pulled a muscle running the tractor and pulling weeds. It was then that her pancreatic cancer was diagnosed.
She was a lifelong member of St. Thomas More Catholic Church and served on the Board of the Newman Catholic Student Center. She was also a dedicated reader and participated in an interfaith book club for over ten years.
Nancy and Pat traveled extensively over their life together, including to Lebanon and Palestine. She was particularly fond of the Church of Beatitudes on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, as well as the Holy Sepulcher and the Garden of Gethsemane in Jerusalem, and the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Her last visit to Jerusalem was in August 2023, for the wedding of her nephew through marriage. It was a wonderful visit and reunion with friends and family from all over the world.
She was an elegant and warm hostess – a talented cook, a tasteful decorator, and welcoming in her home of all ethnicities, cultures, and denominations.
Nancy leaves behind her husband, Patrick, of 46 years, along with their three children: Jennifer (Brooke) of Washington DC, Joseph of Iowa City, and Courtney (Melvin) of Iowa City. She also leaves three grandchildren: George and Peter of Washington DC, and Gordon of Iowa City.
She was preceded in death by her father Gordon Andrew York, her mother Elizabeth Coonan York, and her cousin Ann McCarthy Weber.
A memorial mass will be held Saturday, May 18, 2024, at 11:00 AM at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, with her close friends Fr. Ed Fitzpatrick and Fr. Chuck Adam presiding. Her family will greet friends prior to Mass from 10:00-11:00 AM. All are welcome to join her family for a luncheon at the church immediately following Mass.
In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes contributions to the Department of Surgery Support Fund at the American University of Beirut Medical Center in Beirut, Lebanon in her memory. Proceeds from this fund will be used to support patients in need. Gifts can be made at giving.aub.edu.lb/nhitchon.
Lensing Funeral & Cremation Service
Johnson Obituaries maintained by Cindy Booth Maher.
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