Nan Van Gundy

Nan (Robinette) Van Gundy, age 73, passed away peacefully at home on Oct. 19, 2026.

Nan is survived by her husband, Ralph Van Gundy; her loving son, Andrew; sisters Peggy (Robinette) DeJarnatt of Missouri and Jill (Robinette) Adams of Colorado; brothers Paul Robinette of Alaska and Jon Robinette of California.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Darwin and Thelma Robinette of Rushville, Ohio; her brother, Mike Robinette of Rushville, Ohio; and her in-laws, Dr. and Mrs. A.B. Van Gundy of Lancaster, Ohio.

Nan earned an Associate Degree in Horticulture from The Ohio State University and spent one summer working on a large rose plantation in Colombia. She later worked for an interior plantscaping company in Columbus before joining Vectra as its first non-owner employee. In the pre-computer age, Vectra printed and nationally distributed coupons for many of the country’s major fast-food chains. She finished her working career with Payless Shoe Distribution in Brookville, Ohio.

Nan was always ready for an adventure-at least until she had to look straight down. She enjoyed frequent camping trips, lobster diving and bridge jumping in the Florida Keys (with a few “non-ladylike” landings along the way). Nan also enjoyed canoe excursions down the Mohican River, including one memorable two-day trip that turned into a whitewater rescue of another family. She also enjoyed rock climbing, right up until discovering a sudden fear of heights while standing high above the ground, halfway across Kentucky’s Natural Bridge.

Nan loved festivals and just about any concert she and her husband could find an excuse to attend, often getting the chance to chit-chat with the acts after the shows. She enjoyed annual pilgrimages to Missouri to join Peggy and Jim at motorcycle sidecar rallies and once took a memorable road trip to Philadelphia with her father-in-law. She became the first-and only-family member ever allowed to drive “The Caddy,” with the two of them singing Frank Sinatra tunes all the way there and back.

In Lancaster, Nan earned the unofficial title of “Dessert Queen” while helping at her parents’ Baskin-Robbins ice cream store. One Valentine’s Day weekend alone, she made over 200 ice cream cakes while somehow accidentally shutting five-year-old Andrew in the freezer-a family story that fortunately became much funnier with the passage of time.

Nan once shared the house with seven rescue cats and a black Lab, but Andrew was clearly the center of her life. She especially loved attending his Scout functions, trips out west, saving every single school paper he brought home, and rooting him on from the sidelines at soccer matches (and sometimes from out on the pitch).

And then there were the Ohio State football and basketball games. Nan would trade babysitting duties with her friend, the wife of the Buckeye’s starting quarterback, so everyone got their turn in the stands shouting themselves hoarse (“OH-IO!”). Nan also got to attend gatherings with the basketball players and coaches, so yes, Scarlet and Gray ran deep in her veins (good thing Andrew chose to attend OSU!).

Whether it was a football game, a futbol match, a concert, a festival, a canoe trip, a sidecar rally, or simply a good road trip, Nan believed life was something to be participated in-not watched from afar.

That is, until this bastard of a disease-Alzheimer’s-took it all away.

But Alzheimer’s does not get the last word; Nan now has eternal life with her Savior.

Please, no flowers. The family suggests memorial donations to the Alzheimer’s Association.

Urge Congress to pass the bipartisan Alzheimer’s Screening and Prevention (ASAP) Act, which would provide Medicare coverage for qualifying FDA-approved and FDA-cleared tests capable of detecting Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms appear.

A visitation will be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 from 1:00pm to 2:00pm at Newcomer Funeral Home, 4104 Needmore Road, Dayton, Ohio 45424. You're welcome to attend the memorial service which will begin at 2:00pm also at the funeral home.

To share a memory of Nan or to leave a special message for her family, please sign the online guestbook provided.