Nancy J. (nee Johnson) Tighe

Nancy Johnson Tighe, 79, formerly of Park Ridge, IL, died February 10 after a long decline from Parkinson’s disease and dementia. In recent years, she and her husband Terry lived at The Moorings in Arlington Heights.

Nancy was born on January 4, 1942, in Muskegon, Michigan, to Robert H. and Barbara Johnson. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 1963 and taught elementary school in the Chicago area and then in Department of Defense schools in Germany. She returned to the U.S. to find work as a flight attendant—a means in part of pursuing her lifelong love of travel. She worked for Delta Airlines for 38 years, retiring in 2005.

Nancy was based in Houston, TX, when she married Thomas L. Harman and had their sons Rob and Brett. In the early 1980s, when Nancy and Tom divorced, Nancy moved to Park Ridge to be closer to family. She raised her sons there and became an active member of the community. In 1994, Nancy married Terry Tighe, whom she’d met through Single Booklovers.

Nancy’s beautiful, ready smile signaled her warmth and unfailing good cheer. She was always game, whether for an architectural tour or a midnight movie with Brett in Annapolis. Nancy especially treasured family. She loved having her entire family for Christmas Eve dinner. In later years, she enjoyed annual trips to Florida to see her brother and sister-in-law and trips with her sisters to Cornwall, Prague, and elsewhere. She adored her grandchildren and relished the chance to take care of them. Nancy corresponded regularly with friends and relatives around the world. She was an avid reader and Cubs fan and a dedicated soprano in her church choir. She loved Lake Michigan and all things related to the University of Michigan and the Naval Academy.

Nancy is survived by her husband Terry; her son Rob Harman and his wife Kelli and their children Brett, Bailey, Brayden, and Bradley, of Park Ridge; her step-daughter Erinn Tighe of Omaha, NE; her brother Jeff Johnson and sister-in-law Ann of The Villages, FL; her sisters Barbara Johnson and Roberta Johnson of Madison, WI; her nephew Jack Tiebout and his wife Bridget of Denver; and her great friend Alan Sherman of Park Ridge. Nancy outlived four much-loved family members: her son Brett, her cousin Amy, and her parents. Her family thanks Terry and Nancy’s caregivers for their devoted care in recent years.

A memorial service will be held online on March 9 at 2:00 PM. If you would like to attend, please contact the Park Ridge Presbyterian Church office by e-mail (office@parkridgepresby.org) or phone (847.823.4135).

Memorials may be made to the Park Ridge Public Library (https://www.parkridgelibrary.org/support-the-library/, 847.720.3207; Park Ridge Presbyterian Church (at the information above); or a charity of your choice.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Nancy J. (nee Johnson) Tighe, please visit our floral store.