Nancy Elizabeth Capek

Nancy Elizabeth Capek, beloved wife, mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully surrounded by her children and grandchildren at the age of 86, on May 10, 2026.

Nancy loved spending time with her family and friends, gardening, cooking, knitting, reading, writing letters, and caring for her animals. She was a deeply spiritual woman who felt God’s presence intimately in her daily life and spoke with Him as naturally as one speaks with a close companion. Throughout her life she remained active in the Roman Catholic congregations of the communities where she lived; and in several of these parishes taught Bible study and Sunday school classes.

All who knew Nancy recognized her rare combination of abundant loving kindness and unstoppable determination. She listened deeply and related to each family member and friend in a way that felt profoundly personal. Even as she faced significant and painful physical limitations later in life, she never wavered in her faith in God and her devotion to others.

Nancy was born in New York City on January 14, 1940, to Frank Hylsky and Anna (Chalus) Hylsky. After graduating from high school, she worked for Young & Rubicam, a leading advertising agency. She married George Edward Capek in New York on September 1, 1959. George was a professor of aeronautical engineering at The Academy of Aeronautics, now Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology. Nancy and George were devoted to each other in marriage for over 62 years before George predeceased Nancy on April 3, 2022.

In the early years of their marriage, George and Nancy lived in Syosset, Long Island, where they began to raise their family. Their children Frank William (1960), John Michael (1961), Thomas George (1963), George Edward (1964), and Jeanne Elizabeth (1971) were all born on Long Island. Joanne Marie (1976) was born after the family relocated to upstate NY.

In 1975, during a Memorial Day weekend trip to a piece of property George and Nancy owned in Ephratah, New York, George was injured in a motorcycle accident. Facing challenges as he recovered and seeking a new direction in life, George and Nancy made the decision to relocate their family upstate and they discovered their shared love of farming. From Ephratah, George and Nancy relocated to Oppenheim in 1980, and then to Herkimer in 2014. In every location, Nancy developed friendships that she cherished for the rest of her life.

As an individual and as a parent, Nancy exemplified focus, determination, hard work, family harmony, and togetherness. These values shaped and were admired by her children and those who became her children by marriage including Janice, Carla, Lisa, Leslie, James Girardy, and Ronald Young II. Nancy’s motherly presence extended to others as well.

Nancy’s values inspired the strong family orientation and accomplishments of her twenty-four grandchildren including: Daniel, Dominick, Allison, Andy, Rebecca, Kristian, Connor, Leah, Emily, Farrel, Tony, Zachary, Madison, Elizabeth, Gabrielle, Benjamin, Hannah, Lydia, Kelly, Mary, Zachary, Peter, Rachel, and Maggie.

Nancy’s character, leadership, love, and teaching by example formed a legacy that will continue to live on through generations to come. Nancy’s growing list of great-grandchildren include: Chase, Cooper, Cameron, Riley, and Parker.

A memorial service and celebration of Nancy’s life is being planned for this summer, with additional information to follow. The family warmly welcomes remembrances and stories about Nancy from all whose lives she touched.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Nancy’s memory may be made to the March of Dimes. Nancy supported the March of Dimes for over 65 years, with the family remembering how Nancy would collect dimes from neighbors to fill in the original donation cards while the family was living on Long Island. Additionally, Nancy and the entire Capek family have been grateful to the March of Dimes as they have personally witnessed the advancements made in healthcare through the highly specialized neonatal care received by Nancy’s grandson Zachary and great-grandchildren Riley and Parker.