December 2024 Nancy was diagnosed with stage 4 cholangiocarcinoma, or bile duct cancer. She fought very hard over the seven months to follow and consistently pursued treatment despite the fact that it scared her. She frequently said her grandchildren were the reason she was "chemoing".

Nancy was a dynamic woman. She was caring, kind, felt very deeply, and was a force to be reckoned with. She was gentle and so loving with animals and children, and loved to play with her grandkids. All animals, even wild animals, seemed to gravitate towards her in a way I have never seen with anyone else. She cared so much about her family and the people she loves, and she showed her love in ways like making them homemade ornaments, building doll houses or play fishing boats for the grandkids, and going on nature adventures.

She loved nature so much, and was fiercely protective of it. That's part of the reason she resided in Wakulla County because there is untouched nature abounding. She was actually hiking the Grand Canyon with her son Tony just before her cancer diagnosis came.

Nancy was a very talented writer, and worked as a reporter at the Orlando Sentinel for 25 years. She could always sniff out the truth and get beneath the subtext of things in a way that would leave you awestruck. Writing was always a passion of hers, she unfortunately had to leave her reporting job after thyroid cancer in the mid-2000s left her disabled with a paralyzed vocal cord. But she never stopped writing. She probably has 15 or so novels written on her computer and I bet any one of them would be a best seller if she published.

Not only was she a gifted writer, she was so creative in other ways. There are multiple Nancy Imperiale originals hanging in the homes of her children. This is a gift that was passed down by her own mother, Hazel, who also painted the loveliest nature scenes.

Nancy will be survived by her 3 children – Hannah, Sammy, and Tony, ex-husband and father of her 3 children – Will, 2 grandchildren – Matthew and Rylee, her boyfriend –  Webster, her 2 sons in law – Gary and Riley, her sister – Jill, and numerous other loved ones.