Nancy Ellen Hegwood Loik

to remember, celebrate, and honor her life. Please join us on Saturday, June 1, 2019

at 1:00 pm, Hoge Memorial Presbyterian Church, 2930 W. Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio

43204. Enter through the west doors, which face the church parking lot. Parking is also

available at Elleman & Newcome Law Offices (2904 W. Broad Street), Voice Corp (2955 W.

Broad Street), Siefert Family Dentistry (2880 W. Broad Street). Dress casual. There is no AC in

the sanctuary.

Mom was born to parents Carl Ulysses Hegwood and Ethel Welch Hegwood on November 4,

1922 at their home, 269 Wrexham Avenue, Columbus, Ohio. In 1923 her parents purchased

Mary Ellen Welch’s home at 293 Midland Avenue, Columbus, Ohio. Mary Ellen was her

grandmother and namesake She lived there until she graduated from college. Both her parents

worked full-time; her mom as a teacher and dad with an insurance company.

Carl had a fifth grade education. He was a smart man who read Uncle Wiggily and Raggedy

Ann books, and “the funnies” to her. He made up stories with characters named Phoebe

Sawdust and Sally Openbottom, and created the characters from acorns. He was ahead of his

time in that he stressed she obtain a college education and be able to support herself.

Mom started school at St. Joseph’s Academy when she was six; she hated it, cried everyday,

and spent much time in the principal’s office, “… because I was a disturbance.” This lasted six

weeks. The next attempt at schooling was at John Burroughs Elementary. Again, here she

lasted several weeks, running across the school yard after her mother. The janitor would catch

her and take her back into school. Then she learned that if she feigned vomiting they would

send her home to stay with her Grama. At seven years old she began attending Highland

Elementary School. From then on “I loved school!”. When WW II started in 1939 teachers

brought radios to school, “ . . . and we listened to the Fall of France and Invasion of Norway.”

Upon graduation from West Senior High in 1940, and was accepted into Rotary and National

Honor Society.

Graduating from Ohio State University in 1944 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, she

missed highest honors due to a C in statistics. During that time she volunteered with the Red

Cross, Franklin County Council of Defense as a block air raid warden, and the USO, where she

met our dad, Alex William Loik. He asked her to marry him on their second date; she wasn’t

ready.

On Labor Day 1944, she received a telegram from Washington D.C. offering her a job as an

economist with the U.S Government. The pay was $2,000 per year, plus $400 in overtime pay.

She accepted. Her folks watched her board the train for D.C. It was arranged for her to meet

two young women who would help her find a place to live. “That year in D.C. was a wonderful

experience; the excitement of war time-the Capital was always alive. The lights on the building

were always out (black-outs). I saw them come back on after VJ Day.”

On April 27, 1946 Mom and Dad were married at her parent’s home on Midland Avenue. They

lived in Detroit, MI before moving to Alfred, NY where Dad attended the School for American

Craftsmen to become a silversmith. Living in a trailer, “. . . with no running water and an

unvented gas heater for two years. We loved it!”

Returning to Columbus they bought their first home at 1088 Campbell Avenue and Mom

worked at the Hilltop Library. When she became pregnant (1951) and it began to show she was

no longer allowed to work there. She, again accepted a position as an economist with the

Federal Government. I was born in 1952. Within a short time Dad accepted the opportunity to

be a metal instructor for the Arts & Crafts Society of Portland, Oregon and have his own

silversmith shop. They lived there for two years then moved to San Jose, California in 1955.

Dad worked for Hiller Helicopter, while Mom stayed home with Dave and Me. Dad wanted to

be close to Mom’s family so in 1959 we moved back to Columbus.

Mom decided she would like to teach and earned her teaching certificate from Capital

University (1960), later returning to OSU to earn her Master’s Degree in Math Education (1979.)

She taught primarily sixth grade, and served as Staff Development at West Franklin Elementary

School in Southwestern City Schools District from 1960 - 1984.

In retirement she was active in Sunset Literary Guild, Highland Garden Club, Hilltop Historical

Society, Hoge Memorial Presbyterian Church, Martha Circle, and her beloved Book Club. She

was an avid reader, active and supportive of women’s issues, political causes, care of the

environment and animals. She enjoyed researching and recording the geneology of our family.

She and Dad thoroughly enjoyed their travels to England, Ireland, Alaska, Canadian Rockies,

Smokey Mountains and Petoskey, Michigan. Most recently she enjoyed writing a monthly

installment about her life for the Hoge Herald. She cultivated lasting friendships and always

had time for, and treasured your visits, calls, cards and letters.

She was predeceased by her husband of 61 years, and so many dear friends and family.

Survived by children, Susie Loik Parsons and David Andrew Loik; granddaughters, Kristen

Bays Glover (Wes) and Kelly Bays Reynolds (David); grandchildren: Laeric Starnes, Alex Glover,

Darian and Aaliyah Reynolds; very special friend of 90 years, Lois Noble Katsu, family and

friends too numerous to list here. You all know who you are!

In lieu of flowers, and in memory of Mom, contributions may be made to organizations she

supported such as: Planned Parenthood, Oxfam, The Nature Conservancy, International

Conservation Caucus Foundation and NPR.