Nancy M. Heberling 1933-2025

Born Oct. 31, 1933, in New Springfield, Nancy was the daughter of Claude and Lena Heaver Schreckengost. She grew up in New Springfield alongside her sister, Wanda, and from an early age was known for her warmth, wit and tireless spirit.

On Sept. 10, 1952, Nancy married George Frederick Heberling at Trinity United Methodist Church in New Springfield. George served in the U.S. Air Force, and together they embraced the life of a military family – relocating 16 times in 18 years, often with Nancy managing the moves and raising their children while George was deployed or stationed abroad. She took immense pride in her role as a military wife, saying, “When the father is in the military, the whole family is in the military.”

Nancy was a strong, practical, and fiercely loving mother to three children: Renee Marie Heberling (Bill) Bullen, Gary Lance Heberling and Jody Lynn (Joan) Heberling. She was also a proud grandmother to four grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Her family remembers her as a no-nonsense matriarch who ran a tight ship with grace and grit. “This isn’t a wait until your father gets home house,” she would say. “I’ll take care of business right here and now.”

A women ahead of her time, Nancy spoke openly to her children – especially her daughter – about the importance of independence. Her honesty, paired with a loving heart, left a lasting impression on everyone who knew her.

Nancy’s career reflected her lifelong commitment to caregiving. While overseas with George during his Air Force service, she volunteered as a medical aide at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines, tending to wounded soldiers just prior to the Vietnam War. After returning to Ohio, she trained and worked in physical therapy, caring for patients in nursing homes and at Midlothian Medical Center in Youngstown, alongside Dr. James Paris and Dr. Russell Morrison.

In her later years, Nancy supported her church, Zion Lutheran in New Middletown, especially during fundraisers and community events . She was known for managing the baked goods table at the annual bazaar and helping with clothing giveaways.

When not volunteering, she found joy in simple pleasures: painting ceramics, attending dinner theaters, and “going for a cone.”

Nancy’s greatest legacy is the care she gave to others – her family, her patients, her community. She lived by the conviction that help should always be given to those who need it, and she fulfilled that belief in everything she did.

She was preceded in death by her husband, George; her sister, Wanda; and her parents, Claude and Lena.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate her life 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, July 17, 2025, at Clemente Funeral Home, 10170 Main St., New Middletown.

A service will be held at noon, with a luncheon to follow at 1 p.m. at the Golden Rye Grille, 10745 Main St.

Donations can be made in Nancy’s honor to any of the following: Akeso Hospice at akesohealthcare.com/hospice, which supported Nancy in her final days with compassionate care; Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org, providing care and support to those facing the challenges of Alzheimer’s and advancing global research; and The Nature Conservancy at nature.org, supporting the protection and restoration of natural lands she loved.

Nancy’s humor, strength and spirit live on in the family she nurtured and the lives she touched. She took care of everyone – and everything. And she did it right.

Visit www.clementefuneralhomes.com to view this obituary and to send condolences.

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