Nancy Laufer Brill died on Thursday, July 31, after a short illness. Born in July of 1932, Nancy was 93 at the time of her death.

Sixteen members of Nancy’s family, spanning four generations, were with her as she died at Hospice of Cincinnati. Above all else, Nancy cherished time spent with family and remained connected to children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren—many of whom live in distant states—through texts and videos sent and received on her smart phone. Holidays always brought Nancy’s extended family together in Cincinnati and often found her in the kitchen preparing her signature mac and cheese.

Nancy served as a preschool teacher for more than three decades, and the children of many of her former students were among her pupils. Her hobbies included knitting and needlepoint, Mahjong (a puzzle-matching game), gardening, the daily Cryptoquip (a word-solving puzzle), birdwatching, and reading. Athletic since her youth, Nancy also enjoyed golf and tennis. 

Throughout her life, she maintained a close circle of friends, many tracing to her days as a student at Withrow High School, and for many years, Nancy enjoyed annual trips with her nine-woman "Canoe Group."

Nancy attended the University of Cincinnati, majoring in early childhood development, and was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She was the daughter of Walter A. Laufer, world-champion swimmer who won gold and silver medals in the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, and Genevieve nee Kleinofen.

Noted for her physical toughness—Nancy contended with numerous orthopedic afflictions through later life—she was equally regarded for her emotional depth and nurturing nature and the compassion and respect she demonstrated toward everyone she knew. She loved animals and was particularly fond of her grand dog Rocky, a diminutive Havapoo who imagined himself a Great Dane and had the outsized personality to match.

Nancy was predeceased by her parents and her stepmothers Marion nee Hengstenberg and Wanda nee Bockhorst. 

Nancy is survived by her husband, Ronald Brill; sons David (wife Belinda) and Steven (wife Linda); grandchildren Challen Brill Lentz (husband Adler), Logan Brill Blevins (husband Grant), Robert Brill (wife Heather), and Gordon Brill; great-grandchildren Norris and Otto Lentz; brother Walter Laufer and sister Susan Pfau (husband Daniel); niece Ann Pfau (husband David Hochfelder) and nephews Jeff Laufer (wife Chris), Doug Laufer (wife Suzanne), Stewart Laufer (wife Paige), and Mark Pfau; and numerous grand-nieces and nephews.

Nancy and Ron celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in November 2024. For the past 14 months, Nancy and Ron have been living at Traditions at Camargo, a senior living facility in the Cincinnati suburb of Madeira.

Nancy chose to donate her body to the UC Medical College for research and education, and in this way, she will continue to serve as a teacher.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations in Nancy’s memory go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Hospice of Cincinnati.

The family will host a service in celebration of Nancy’s life from 4:30-6 PM on Saturday, September 20, at the Senior Center at Traditions, 7650 Camargo Road, Madeira, Ohio 45243. 

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