Nancy Cassell

Nancy J. Cassell, 82, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, April 24, 2026, at Garnett Place, Cedar Rapids. In accordance with her wishes, a private Celebration of Life for family and friends will be held at a later date in Traverse City, Michigan.

Nancy was born on April 17, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois to Mary-Jeanne and Raoul Montgomery. She graduated from Ferndale High School and later attended Endicott College before meeting the love of her life and father of their two children, Robert Cassell.

Nancy was known for many things over the course of her life, but chiefly among them: her creativity, her passion and her vibrant, independent and often fiery personality. Nancy moved through life with grace and certainty that shined through in everything she did, from her sense of fashion to her beautifully curated home, her cooking, her art, and the confidence with which she carried herself.

Nancy prided herself on being a creative in nearly every direction. She was a talented painter, seamstress, jeweler, beader, and overall, true designer. Even as a young woman, her talent and skills did not go unrecognized and an article was published in the Detroit Free Press about her work with silk-on-silk appliqués. Later in life, she became more well known for her impressive and often highly detailed work in beading and jewelry. While she did explore her entrepreneurial side for a time, she kept the hobby near and dear to her heart and was always making bracelets, necklaces and rings for family and friends.

Nancy did not limit this creativity to only one corner of her life though. It showed up in how she dressed, what she cooked and the home she so beautifully created around her family. The family house in Pleasant Ridge was one of Nancy’s greatest prides, not just because it was beautiful, but because every part of it was a reflection of her efforts. From the sitting room lined wall-to-wall with cookbooks, to the garden that grew fuller every year. Even something as simple as walking down the stairs meant seeing countless family memories on display, each piece contributing to a beautiful gallery of stories, inside jokes, adventures and little treasures that made the space feel alive.

Nancy filled her life with the things and people she loved most. She was happiest when friends and family were nearby, her troupe of Golden Retrievers with funny names was close at hand, and she had something going in the kitchen. While Nancy claimed that she could “burn water,” anyone she fed walked away knowing she was not only a certified chef, but a truly gifted cook. She cooked with care, confidence and no shortage of garlic. Nancy knew how to make her kitchen the heart of every party and turned it into a place to gather, to laugh, to love, and, if you were paying attention, to notice a quarter superglued to the floor.

Alongside Robert, Nancy’s life was overflowing with love and adventure. After a picture-perfect workplace meet-cute, the two were practically inseparable. They were best friends first, lovebirds second and lifelong partners in every season of their life, including welcoming their two children into the world together. They traveled the world in pursuit of beauty, culture, good food and the kind of stories worth bringing home. Still, for everywhere they traveled, the family cottage on Torch Lake remained Nancy’s most treasured destination. It was a home away from home filled with soft towels, warm sand, wet dogs and cold drinks.

Despite the adversities in her life, including a breast cancer diagnosis and the loss of her husband, Nancy always managed to face hardship with a brave face and her wry sense of humor. Her struggles never became her identity, rather, they were just things that she saw as terribly inconvenient interruptions to a life she still had every intention of living.

Her family will remember her as a force of nature, she was loving, commanding, funny, elegant and someone who always told great stories. But perhaps the greatest story Nancy leaves behind is the time her French teacher agreed to pass her, but only on one condition: that she never speak French again. Nancy told this story proudly, and, true to form, treated it less like a failure and more like an honor. She leaves behind the beauty she created, the people she fed, the family she loved fiercely, and a life that was vibrant, full, and filled with love. And, at long last, with apologies to her French teacher: c’est la vie.

Nancy is survived by her two children, Nicole (Trevor) Cassell and Nicholas (Andrea) Cassell; four grandchildren, David (Joshua) Sowerby, Ashley (Michael) Sowerby, Keller and Willa; brother, Buck (Cathy) Montgomery; and brother-in-law, Jim (Judy) Onthank.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Mary-Jeanne; father, Raoul; husband, Robert; and sister, Judy Onthank.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Nancy’s name to the Detroit Zoological Society where contributions help support the Butterfly Gardens.