Nancy Lamkin Olson

Nancy Lamkin Olson (born Nancy Lee Lamkin), 82, formerly of Edgebrook, passed away peacefully at home in Chicago’s Printer’s Row, April 29, 2025. Born in Chicago, Nancy earned her B.F.A. in Theater from Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri. She was accepted into Yale’s School of Drama but instead married and started a family. Sadly, that baby died at the age of six months and the marriage ended soon after. A wacky, wonderful, whimsical woman, Nancy was accepted into Second City’s conservatory program, but declined to give up her Screen Actors Guild union card. In the 60’s, she was a contestant on “Jeopardy” and also appeared on the “Ed Sullivan Show”, where she threw a pie at Merv Griffin. No doubt, with more ambition, she’d have found fame as an actress. It was at the St. Louis Municipal Opera that Nancy met her second husband, Kurt, with whom she had three more children. The couple moved from St. Louis (where they started their family) to New York City (to give their acting careers a shot), to Watson, Illinois (her parents’ dairy farm aka “Lamkin Land”) to Evanston, IL (Kurt attended Seabury-Western Theological Seminary) to Wheaton, Illinois (Kurt’s first pastoral position) and then finally to Edgebrook, IL (Kurt settled in as Pastor at St. Richard’s Episcopal Church). Nancy and Kurt became very involved in PFLAG, supportive of LBGT people and their families. Nancy had a wicked sense of humor. She loved scaring her kids, and even once drove them out to the middle of a cornfield, parked the car, and shut off the lights. She sent her son reeling when she suddenly grabbed his leg while watching “Carrie”. She loved film and food, always knew the best, newest tv shows. A huge David Letterman fan, she was delighted to win tickets to the show in the 90’s. She usually had 3-6 rescued dogs, always went for WGN’s “Dog of the Week”. Nancy would read easily two books weekly. When she moved from Edgebrook to the South Loop in 2013, the family donated ninety boxes to Open Books Chicago. She was generous and caring sometimes more so of others than for herself. Beloved wife of the late Fr. Kurt Allen Olson. Loving mother of late infant daughter Meegan McAtee; Jeremiah (Margaret “Maggie” McMahon) and Kevin (Rene) Olson; and the late Christian (Tom Feddor) Olson. Adoring grandmother (“Geema”) of Owen and Sadie McMahon and Zach and Zoe Olson. Dear sister-in-law of Anita Olson, daughter of the late Robert Burns Lamkin and Emma Koss Lamkin. The family has chosen a private cremation with inurnment of cremated remains at Ascension Episcopal Church. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory to Anti-Cruelty Society: www.anticruelty.org. Arrangements by Inclusive Funeral Care, 773-318-1305 or www.InclusiveFuneralCare.com.

Nancy Lamkin Olson

May 24, 1942 - April 29, 2025