Nanci Steele Obituary

Steele, Nanci

Nanci (Versino, nee Ryan) Steele, 74, of Des Plaines, passed away July 11, 2021.

Daughter of the late Robert E. & Marjorie (nee Marsou) Ryan and beloved wife of

James Steele. Nanci was born in Chicago and raised in Evanston. Loving mother of Barbra Versino (Rich Spychalski), and the late Robert Versino; devoted grandmother of Jonathan and Emma Spychalski and the cherished family dog Reiley.

Nanci began working in the retail wine industry at Sola's Wine & Spirits in the 1970s – named "Chicago's Best Wine Store" by the Chicago Tribune wine columnist Craig Goldwyn before it burned down. She was the 1 st woman in Chicago to be a wholesale wine industry sales rep and worked for Judge & Dolph. She was the first woman to win and a two-time winner of Geja's Annual International Professional Wine Tasting Contest (1980-81) before retiring from the event, and a Founding Member of Chicago's Dames d'Escoffier, an organization of professional wine industry women dedicated to furthering wine and food appreciation. For a short period, she did write the wine column for the Chicago Sun-Times after the passing of their regular columnist Arnold Landsman. After retiring from the wine industry, Nanci obtained a Master's degree in special education and taught EMH children at Hanson Park Elementary in Chicago for 10 years (1990s – 2001).

Visitation Thursday, July 15, 3 to 8 PM at Oehler Funeral Home 2099 Miner Street, Des Plaines. Entombment on Friday, July 16 at 11 AM at Memorial Park Cemetery, Skokie. In lieu of flowers, donate to the ACLU or Women's Heart Health.

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