Longtime West Chicago City Clerk Nancy Smith dies at 78

Family, friends and colleagues are mourning the death of Nancy M. Smith, West Chicago's City Clerk for the past three decades.

Smith died on Wednesday, Feb. 9, at the age of 78.

According to Don Smith, Nancy's husband of 55 years, she was a leukemia survivor. When she died, Smith was in the hospital because of low oxygen levels in her blood. But Don said the official cause of death was congestive heart failure.

"She was a very, very dear friend of mine," West Chicago Mayor Ruben Pineda said. "It's a shock that something happened like this."

Deputy City Clerk Valeria Perez will handle the clerk duties until a new clerk is elected, Pineda said. Smith had three years remaining on her term.

"Nancy was this incredible person and was hardworking, and she loved this community," Pineda said. "She made that clear by all the volunteering she did."

First elected in 1991, Nancy Smith has the distinction of being West Chicago's longest-serving city clerk. She also held the title of ethics officer for West Chicago and was the local election official.

A U.S. Army veteran, Smith was the first woman elected as commander of American Legion Post 300 in 2000. Smith also was an auxiliary member of VFW Post 6791, both based in West Chicago.

"If she set her mind to do something, she got it done," said Don Smith, praising his late wife's dedication to her schooling and work.

Nancy Smith graduated from Pembroke State University and had postgraduate degrees from Worcester State University and the University of Chicago.

Nancy (nee Rossell) was a Chicago native. But she met her future husband in 1963 while they worked at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. Don and Nancy Smith got married in 1966. They then lived near Atlanta, Georgia, where Nancy worked for the federal government.

The Smiths relocated to West Chicago in 1989, and both ran for West Chicago city offices in 1991. While Don was unsuccessful in his run for city alderman, Nancy succeeded as city clerk.

Don Smith and Pineda praised Nancy Smith's long and dedicated hours in her job keeping records of city council meetings and city contracts.

Smith was a signatory to West Chicago's 1999 Sister Cities proclamation with Taufkirchen (Vils) in Germany.

"As soon as you met her, you loved her," said Pineda about Nancy Smith. "She's going to be greatly missed."

A visitation for Smith will be 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 19, with a 3:30 p.m. service at Norris-Segert Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 132 Fremont St., West Chicago. Instead of flowers, contributions in Smith's memory may be made to Cat Guardians, 932 E. St. Charles Rd, Lombard, IL 60148.