Nancy Jo Vendrely

Nancy Jo Vendrely, 90, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, died peacefully in her sleep on March 22, 2026. She was born July 31, 1935 in Erie Shores near Monroe, Michigan, daughter of the late Erving Roy and Dorothy Mae (Hursh) Vendrely, and sister of Ronald “Bud” Vendrely of Spencerville, Indiana. Nancy was intelligent, inquisitive, hardworking, and willing to stand up for what she believed in throughout a life marked by purpose and integrity.

Nancy grew up in Spencerville and graduated from Spencerville High School as class valedictorian in 1953. She was known for her beautiful lyric soprano voice and sang at weddings, graduations, school events, churches, and she also performed with the Festival Music Theatre at Franke Park in Fort Wayne. Nancy attended Indiana University on campus and later graduated from Purdue (IPFW) with a degree in Psychology. She worked as a features writer at the Lima News in Ohio for one year before spending the next 18 years at the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, where she eventually took on a leadership role as Features Editor. Her popular weekly column “By the Way” ran for nearly eight years during that time. Realizing that she preferred writing over working as a supervisor, Nancy moved to the Journal Gazette in 1987 where she produced between two and five features stories every week, plus regular columns including “Yesterdays” and “On The Town.” In the years preceding her 2006 retirement, Nancy broke new ground with her “Couples” column for which she interviewed all types of people living together in committed relationships.

Nancy was a true “old-school” journalist and took the ethical principles of the Fourth Estate very seriously. With a nose for news she was the proverbial life-long learner, an unapologetic feminist, and a proud mother who raised her sons to be free thinkers making their own ways in the world. Nancy was a beloved daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She loved travelling the world and spending time with her granddaughters. Her adventuresome spirit led them on many journeys together, including post-graduation trips overseas. During Nancy’s final years her days were brightened by visits with her great grandchildren Sophie and Asher Ehinger.

Nancy is survived by her son, Randall Romero; her granddaughters, Maria Romero (Luke) Ehinger and Olivia Romero (Kyle) Yeakle; and her daughter-in-law, Laurie Romero.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Bud, and her youngest son, Scott Anthony Romero.

A public memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 3:15 pm at D.O. McComb & Sons Funeral Homes - Lakeside Park, 1140 Lake Avenue in Fort Wayne, with open visitation from 12:00 pm to 3:15 pm.

Memorial contributions in Nancy's name may be directed toward Community Harvest Food Bank, or to the donor's choice of charity.