A tough woman from a large Catholic house. Woman of faith. Godly. Family of nine. Born to Paul and Frances Strack, sister to John, Jerry, Jimmy, Mikey, Patsy, Carol, Karen, and Mary.
Devoted wife to Patrick Kennedy Latour. Mother to Tuffy, Shawn, Todd, Jimmy, Patrick, Troy, and Ryan. Mother of seven boys.
Grandmother to Hannah, TJ, Shawn Jr., Frankie, Kim, Bella, Max, Jameson, Chloe, Isaac, Layla, Mathias, Tre, Analise, and Aubrey.
Great-Grandmother to Sofia and Mykel.
Nurturer of all, but mother to neighborhood kids as well. Her house was home to the persecuted
Gen-Xer.
Her most admirable quality was her faith in God. When others doubted, Nancy persevered. It didn’t matter what the diagnosis was from the medical community – Mom would pray over everything and everyone. Miracles were ordinary in our house, and we witnessed them many times. God answers prayers. Our mother was a Proverbs 31 woman. She lived Philippians 4:6, which says – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” She prayed continuously throughout her life.
Do you believe in miracles was not only a phrase for the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey team; it was my mom’s motto. Just ask my dad when he won back-to-back hockey tourneys when his teams were not even ranked in the top 10. They won! Or ask anyone that was sick or needed prayer.
Chemist in the laundry room. No one could come close to getting whiter socks than we had on the baseball field. The unique smell of her laundry is more potent than the best colognes. It may have even been responsible for some of us picking up chicks.
The Gordon Ramsey of the kitchen. I still don’t know anyone that could make the Goulash like Nancy. Or her signature dishes – macaroni salad, egg salad, and even the best tacos you have ever had. She could turn a hotdog into a gourmet meal. Her food was delicious. “It’s delicious,” was her signature line.
Mom loved 50’s Rock and Roll and 80’s country.
Unlike people today that use Snap, text, DM, Facetime, and Messenger. Nancy loved talking on the cell phone and talking to her relatives and friends. When her hearing got worse, she would repeat things you didn’t say – but it was hilarious. She refused to get a hearing aid.
No one could out shop or find a better deal when it comes to shopping.
Her most underrated skill was her competitive nature. She loved playing the dice game called 10000, Texas hold-em, Phase 10, and Rummy.
If you think Comedy Central had the best roasters, you’ve never met my mom. I think many of our kids inherited her roasting capability. She would let you have it – no filter, but clean language.
When it came to tanning, my mom was a walking Coppertone commercial. She looked tan all the time.
Other things we’ve learned about life from our mom are the words commitment, self-discipline, and persistence. These are not just words she lived by but lessons she taught us about marriage – for better or worse, no matter how difficult a situation was, she taught us to overcome.
Some other things everyone should know about Nancy. She loved cleaning and had a big nose that could smell anything. Only one of our brothers inherited that nose or gift of smell – Jimmy. She could sense things that didn’t exist to an average person. As far as cleaning is concerned, she was immaculate.
We have learned much from our mother that no college professor can teach. We learned how to love and cherish life. We learned that children are a blessing from God. I do believe we drove her nuts a few times growing up.
What can you tell me about a mom? I can tell you we had one of the best in the world. God welcomed her into heaven. Mom - “well done, good and faithful servant,” proceed to the pearly gates of heaven. We love and miss you!
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