Nancy Steindl Grassey of Savannah, Georgia passed away peacefully on March 14, 2026 after suffering complications from a fall a few months earlier. While Nancy spent many years of her life on the move with family, Savannah was the place she called home since 1988 after moving there with her husband, Paul, upon his retirement. Nancy and Paul loved those years together, enjoying the opportunity to travel and their life as grandparents and great-grandparents, their treasured friendships, their mutual devotion to the game of golf, and their church. In addition, Nancy served the community as a volunteer at Hospice Savannah, the Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace Museum, and The National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.

Nancy Grassey was preceded in death by her husband (Paul) of 61 years, parents Charles and Mabel, sister Jane Luckenbill and brother Robert Steindl, and daughters-in-law Deborah Stine Overton and Marilyn Murphy Overton. Nancy is survived by her four children, including son Terry (Overton), son Robert and his partner (William King), son Gary and wife Tara, and daughter Marianne (Muse) and husband Steve; seven grandchildren, including Keith (Overton) and wife Cindi, Ken (Overton) and wife Valerie, Michael Brandt Grassey, Lauren (Grassey) Stevens and husband Charles, Jack Grassey, Michael Crane Grassey, and Patrick Grassey; and five great grandchildren, including Ryan, Claire, Tilghman, Peri, and Matthew.

Born on November 30, 1936 in Doylestown, Pennsylvania to Charles and Mabel Steindl, Nancy Grassey grew up in the small town of Fleetwood in the heart of “Pennsylvania Dutch country”. She graduated from Fleetwood (PA) High School in 1954, where she was an outstanding student-athlete, proudly serving as captain of her league championship basketball team. She also enjoyed the theater arts and music, as she developed her skills as a talented piano player. Following graduation, Nancy moved to Philadelphia and earned her nursing degree from Temple University. From there, she joined the United States Air Force as a nurse at Mitchell Field on Long Island (NY) and served her country as a Second Lieutenant.

During her second year of military service, Nancy received orders to begin a tour of duty in Spain. However, as fate would have it, those plans were interrupted when she met the love of her life, Paul; he was a widower with two sons, Terry and Bob. When Nancy and Paul decided to marry in August 1959, her trip to Spain was postponed and her military career ended, as she became a full-time mother and homemaker.

Nancy and Paul soon settled in Glen Rock, NJ, where their son Gary was born in 1960. For the next three decades, Paul’s work in sales would lead them to move frequently. After moving to Wilmington, Delaware, their daughter, Marianne, arrived in 1963. From there, the family moved around the Northeast to towns in different parts of New York and New Jersey.

For Nancy and Paul, their busy home life in places like Huntington, NY and Hackettstown, NJ was typically filled with friends, laughter, song, and many events connected to golf. Dinner parties and activities with friends from the neighborhood, their golf clubs, and Paul’s business network often placed Nancy in the role of gracious host. On many nights, as they entertained friends, she played her piano and accompanied Paul while he sang. As he performed, favoring tunes from the Big Band Era, Frank Sinatra, and Broadway shows, he never missed an opportunity to sing her song - “Nancy (With the Laughing Face)”.

Eventually, Paul took Nancy to Spain, fulfilling the promise he made when she left the U.S. Air Force. Business trips and family vacations also brought them to destinations near and far, from the Carolinas and Florida to California, Alaska, and Hawaii. Frequently, those journeys included golf with friends.

During their retirement years at The Landings on Skidaway Island, Nancy and Paul became deeply committed to the development of the Mighty Eight Air Force Museum near Savannah. Their involvement and support of the Museum, coupled with their shared military service, reverence for history, and patriotic values allowed them to forge new relationships and friendships with service members and families from all over the world.

Among others, Nancy and Paul made two memorable trips to Normandy to explore the beaches and surrounding towns where the D-Day invasion occurred. In 2019, their second visit to Normandy was made courtesy of the National World War II Museum and the Gary Sinise Foundation, where they traveled as honored guests to Belgium, France, and England to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Meetings there with President Macron of France, foreign journalists, military service members and survivors provided poignant and powerful moments of reflection and gratitude.

After Paul passed away in 2021, Nancy built a home for herself at Harmony of Savannah where the camaraderie of new friends brought joy and fellowship through their weekly bridge games, book clubs, and the like. While arthritis prevented her from playing her cherished piano, it continued to occupy a prominent place in her home as she adapted her love for music to CDs.

On Sunday, April 19, visitation will occur from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Fox & Weeks Funeral Directors, Hodgson Chapel. On Monday, April 20th at 10 a.m., a Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. James Catholic Church in Savannah. Inurnment will be in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date to be determined.

In lieu of flowers, please consider sending donations either to: 

 https://www.mightyeighth.org/ or https://www.hospicesavannah.org/