Obituary of Nancy Ertel

Nancy Jean Gallagher Ertel, age 72, of Kennesaw, GA died on Wednesday, June 25, 2014 at the Wellstar Tranquility Hospice in Kennesaw. She was born in Erie, PA on November 9, 1941 to John and Aurelia Gallagher. After graduating from Erie Academy High School in 1959, Nancy moved to southern California where she married Frank Ertel in 1975. Nancy earned a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology and M.A. in Linguistics from California State University, Long Beach; she worked as an executive secretary at General Motors and TRW Corporation. Her interests were wide-ranging. She enjoyed cooking, interior decorating, gardening, music, reading, and the arts. She and Frank traveled extensively, visiting Europe, Hawaii, New Zealand, and Tahiti. A life-long advocate for animal welfare, Nancy supported numerous charities in that cause. Over the years, she had many dogs, including her beloved Bichon, Paco. Nancy was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and sister, Eileen Gallagher Shreve. She is survived by her brother, James Gallagher of Marietta, GA; nephew, Sean Gallagher of Portland, OR; nieces, Eileen Gallagher Herron and Erin Gallagher of Marietta, GA; and cousins, Mary Ruth Tarkowski and Dorothy Glover of Erie, PA. Friends may call at the Dusckas-Martin Funeral Home and Crematory, Inc., 4216 Sterrettania Rd., on Monday, June 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. A prayer service will be held at the funeral home on Tuesday, July 1 at 11:00 a.m. Interment Laurel Hill Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to the charity of the donor's choice.