Nancy Jean (Frankenberg) DiMaria

Nancy Jean DiMaria, nee Frankenberg, of Niles, IL and Palm Harbor, FL, died this past Friday in Florida in a traffic accident. She was 74 years old. Nancy was a retired teacher and principal, who worked at a variety of schools in Muscatine, IA before moving back to Illinois where she was the principal of Woodlands School in Gurnee for 13 years until retiring in 2007.

Nancy was born on May 10th, 1947, in Chicago, to Ben and Genevieve (Gromkowski) Frankenberg. She graduated from Regina Dominican High School in Wilmette, IL, and Clarke College in Dubuque, IA before receiving her Master’s from the University of Iowa. She was a passionate supporter of the arts and loved bringing smiles to the faces of kids through theatre. Nancy acted, sang and directed many local performances and was instrumental in starting various theatre groups wherever she lived.

In retirement, Nancy split time between Chicago and Palm Harbor, Florida, loved to travel, garden, shop, play golf and mahjong with friends and committed herself to countless groups and clubs in Palm Harbor in order to learn new things, meet new faces and have fun. Some of the clubs included Palm Harbor Newcomers Club, Gardening Gals Club, Brown Baggers Book Club, and many more. Along with shopping and accessorizing, she excelled at making friends due to her contagious and uplifting personality.

Nancy was preceded in death by her parents and her twin brother Bob (Chief) Frankenberg. She will be deeply missed by her husband, Frank DiMaria, her two children, Dennis (Maggie) O’Neill and her cherished grandchildren, Remy Bear and Rose Hudson, all of Brooklyn, New York, and daughter Deirdre O’Neill of Florida. She was also a cherished stepmother to Katie (Andy) Schneider of Chicago and their three children Charlie, Audrey and Max, of Chicago, Frankie (Michelle) DiMaria of Weston, CT, and Karen DiMaria of Chicago. She will also be missed by her countless friends everywhere. 

There will be a memorial service this Thursday, June 17th, at Simkins Funeral Home at 6251 Dempster St., Morton Grove, IL 60053. Visitation will begin at 3 followed by a service at 7pm. Later, there will be a celebration of life party in Florida to celebrate her incredible life and all the people that she has helped and influenced over her 74 years with us. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in honor of Nancy Jean DiMaria.

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