After an extremely fulfilling and adventuresome life, Nancy Louise Lindsay passed away on January 8, 2025 at the age of 87, surrounded by her family.

Born in Chicago on January 18, 1937 to Dorothy Rosella Gritzmacher-Cawkwell-Lindsay and John Edward Cawkwell (originally from Minneapolis Minnesota), she was raised by her mother and loving step-father Norman Alfred Lindsay of Port Hope, Ontario. During her school years from 6 – 12 years old she attended the Sisters of Notre Dame boarding school in Bourbonis, Illinois. These years helped her to be the strong independent woman that she became. She graduated from Evanston Township High School in 1955 in this northern Chicago suburb where the family was now living. She attended for 3 years, Beloit College in Wisconsin, where she studied acting, then lived for 2 years in Florida, in Bradenton and Miami as she loved the hot weather.

In 1961, at the age of 25 she entered religious life with the Dominican Order of Sisters in Adrian, Michigan. There she finished her bachelor’s degree and gained her teaching certificate. She then taught in Jackson and Detroit, Michigan as a nun. The mid to late 60’s were an enlightening time, both in Detroit and nationally, with the Vietnam War protests, race riots and assassinations of Martin Luther King and both John and Robert Kennedy.

Having left religious life in 1969, realizing it was not truly her path in life, she went to visit her Aunt Elsie and Uncle Wilf outside of Port Hope, Ontario where her stepfather had been born and she had visited many times over the years as she was fascinated by real farm life. There she met her husband, Hubert Jerome (Jerry) Pillsworth and they were wed on November 8, 1969. Between 1970 and 1980 they had 2 children, Laura (1971) and Lindsay (1972) and moved to the northern resort town of Minden, Ontario where Jerry owned the Steadman’s store on the main street.

In 1979, Nancy moved with Laura and Lindsay to Peterborough where they lived for 5 years. She wanted to get back into teaching but the jobs were scarce in the Peterborough area so she moved to Mississauga, Ontario where school boards were growing and teaching positions were available. Initially she spent more than a year substitute teaching with the Dufferin-Peel Catholic School board and was eventually hired permanently and was assigned to St. Rose of Lima grade school in Mississauga. She spent the next 14 years there, most happily teaching grades 4 – 7 and every combination of classes of those grades. It was one of the happiest and most fulfilling times of her life after having the privilege of being a stay at home mom to Laura and Lindsay in the 1970’s.

Her last years were spent in Toronto, a city she truly loved for its multicultural society and feeling of safety and the entertainment venues – especially the TSO and Mirvish Theaters and spending time at The Chang School of Continuing studies working on her memoirs and with her beloved grandson, Gabriel, and step-grandson, Troy. Nancy was predeceased by her mother, her birth father, her stepfather and her younger sister Judith Anne Lindsay-Santer.

Thank you to everyone who touched her life and made it so unique, filled with adventures and happiness. With much sadness she leaves behind her loving daughter Laura Valerie Pillsworth, her wonderful grandson Garbiel Butler, her adventurous son Lindsay Jerome Pillsworth and his partner Jennifer Parsons and hopes that all the 800+ students she taught over the years in Canada and the U.S. are living fulfilling, loving and successful lives.

Please remember Nancy by donating to your favorite charity in her name.