Elk Grove Village business leader remembered as town ‘celebrity’
Not everyone can say their mother was regarded as a celebrity in their hometown.
But Nancy L. Carlson’s three children can.
“I described her as Mary Poppins. She made everything a little more fun,” son Mark Carlson said.
She attended every band concert, every football game, every award, and always was “very supportive,” Mark Carlson said.
The 84-year-old died Oct. 30 from complications due to Alzheimer's.
As involved as she was in her children’s lives, Carlson also dedicated herself to Elk Grove Village over the 58 years she lived there.
“She set a great example for us about being involved in the community. She accomplished a lot,” Mark Carlson said.
Carlson served as the director of economic development and president of the Greater O’Hare Chamber of Commerce before she retired in 2009.
“Nancy was a fixture in the village government, she was a fixture in the community and the biggest thing is she was a fixture in the business park,” Elk Grove Village Mayor Craig Johnson said. “Nancy was always on top of things … being a business person I know how critical and crucial it is to have a point-person like that in government. She was invaluable to the village.”
Carlson was a longtime member of Christus Victor Lutheran Church, the American Daughters of Sweden and often volunteered at Alexian Brothers Medical Center. She also sang in choirs around the community, Mark Carlson said.
“Other than working for the village she was very … in-support of it. She did a lot to help it grow and just loved being a part of the community,” Mark Carlson said.
Carlson even had her own TV show “Strictly Business,” according to Mark Carlson. The show originally aired in the ’90s but has evolved into a podcast.
“She was like a little bit of a celebrity in Elk Grove. People would stop her in the grocery store and say ‘Oh my gosh! You’re that woman from the TV show,’” Mark Carlson said.
Carlson’s deep involvement in the village earned her the love of many people, whether in her personal or business life.
“She liked to laugh and smile … She was funny. She loved to tell jokes,” Mark Carlson said. “Everybody that I talked to … the common theme has always been she always made everyone feel so welcome … she was instant friends with them.”
Carlson was preceded in death by her husband, Richard Carlson, and a daughter Karin Carlson. She is survived by her children, Mark Carlson, Linda Nicholas and Julie Linnekin, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, at Christus Victor Lutheran Church, 1045 S. Arlington Heights Road. A memorial service will follow and donations to the church are welcomed.