Nancy F. Sanker

Nancy Florence (nee Melega) Sanker, 67, of Chardon, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, December 4, 2013. Born June 13, 1946, in Cleveland, Ohio to Florence and William Melega, she married her loving husband John A Sanker, Jr. on June 10, 1967 at St. Gregory the Great in South Euclid.  She lived in the Chardon area for the past 45 years. After spending a decade as a stay-at-home mom with her young children, she worked as the school secretary at St. Mary School in Chardon from 1981-1991, and Orange City Schools starting in 1991, retiring in 2007.  While her children were young, she was an enthusiastic Girl Scout leader, a member of the Dolphin Club in Burton, and a member of several Square Dancing groups.   She was an inspiring member of St. Mary’s Church, devoting time to the Pre-Cana Team, Bereavement Committee, and was involved with the Women’s Retreat as well as participating in the church choir and being a Eucharistic Minister.  More recently, she had become a sponsor of a woman in Madagascar through the Christian Foundation.  As a Red Cross Blood donor, she donated over 50 gallons of blood and in her last act of giving, donated her corneas to the Cleveland Eye Bank. Nancy was a member of the Claridon Zoning Board of Appeals and the Geauga YMCA where she enjoyed water aerobics.  She belonged to several singles and couples bridge groups in the area, sometimes playing as often as 5 days a week.  Everyone knew how much she loved tending her flower gardens, camping, couponing, and going on cruises; but that her favorite time was when she was with her grandchildren, who were her pride and joy. She will be greatly missed and forever loved by her husband John; daughters Julie (Greg) Hubert, Karen (Dan) Martin and Laura (Matt) Mauller; grandchildren Jordan and Daniel Martin, Andrew and Henry Hubert, and Lexi, Ali and AJ Mauller; sister Marilyn (Tom) Fleming, brothers Mel (Evelyn) Melega and William (Mitsuko) Melega; John’s sisters, brothers and their spouses, loving nieces and nephews, and many cousins and loving relatives. She was preceded in death by her father, William Melega, and her mother, Florence Virginia Melega. The family will receive friends from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at Burr Funeral Home, 116 South Street, Chardon on Monday, December 9.  A funeral mass will be held Tuesday, December 10, at 10am at The Church of St. Mary, 401 North Street, Chardon. Private family burial will take place. Besides the countless hours she volunteered for various organizations, Nancy gave to numerous charities each year.  The family knows she would be honored to have donations made to her granddaughter’s charity, Jordan’s Wishing Well, 9401 Mentor Avenue #246, Mentor, Ohio 44060.