Nancy Gillan

Nancy Gillan
Cranford resident; passionate about her faith, her church, and education as elementary school teacher and tutor in retirement
Nancy Gillan (formerly Roberts, nee Novovesky), native of Woodbridge, N.J., and resident of Cranford, N.J., passed away peacefully on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020, at the age of 83.
Nancy was a teacher at the George Washington Elementary School No. 1 in Elizabeth, N.J., where she taught for 30 years. Throughout her life and career, her love of children and passion for education was known to all around her. Even in retirement, she looked for opportunities to continue what she considered her life's work; a wish she fulfilled by tutoring her great-grandson, Carter, with his schoolwork.
She was also passionate about her faith and spent many years in the church, where she made many friends with whom she had a special lifelong bond. While a lifetime member of Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Edison, N.J., she continued her spiritual journey at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Cranford after marrying her second husband, Daniel.
Nancy is survived by her son, Jay; her four grandchildren, Megan, Jackie, and Beth, who she raised, and Alyssa, and by her four great-grandchildren, Kelsea, Carter, Collin, and Ayden. Sadly, she was predeceased by her first husband, Kenneth Roberts; her second husband, Daniel Gillan, and her daughter, Amy.
Due to the ongoing public health crisis, a memorial service will be held in the spring of 2021, to celebrate her life and that of her late husband Daniel. After the new year, additional details regarding the memorial service will be posted on https://www.grayfuneralhomes.com/. Interested persons should reach out to the funeral home with their contact information to ensure proper notification. Also, those who so desire, may make a memorial donation, in her name, to the Calvary Lutheran Church, 108 Eastman St., Cranford, N.J. 07016.