Nancy Kay Dever, age 78, of Chelsea, Michigan, passed away on July 17, 2026, at Henry Ford Providence Hospital in Novi, surrounded by family.
Nancy was born on May 28, 1948, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The daughter of Wilson and Mary Kathryn (Brummett) Loy, she was raised in Ann Arbor and lived in the area her entire life. She often talked about growing up on Virginia Ave while working in the restaurants her parents owned, namely Speedy Loy’s, Pizza Loy’s, and others.
On March 22, 1969, Nancy married Charles N. "Nick" Dever, in Ann Arbor, MI. Together they shared 57 years of marriage. They built a beautiful life which quickly grew to include two sons and later, four grandchildren.
A lifelong teacher, Nancy began her educational career as a child by playing “school” with neighborhood friends. She later formalized her calling when she earned her teaching degree from the University of Michigan. She then devoted over 30 years to her profession, most of it at Emerson School. She helped to found the middle school there and served as its coordinator. No one can deny the impact she had on her students’ lives. Even years after her retirement, she continued to receive countless messages, emails, cards, letters, wedding invitations, and even a book dedication from her past students. Nancy kept every letter, note, and card from her students over the years, stored right alongside the letters from her closest friends and family.
Nancy’s creativity knew no bounds. She never met a challenge she could not tackle, especially when it came to sewing projects for family and friends. Falling in love with the skill at a young age, Nancy spent countless hours at her machine creating something new for a loved one. In the 90s, she began a sewing pattern business called Nancy’s Cut Ups. In later years, she made custom designed bags for tracheostomy patients at the University of Michigan Hospital. She loved making wedding dresses for friends and family, as well as Halloween costumes, matching Christmas outfits, baby blankets, theatrical costumes, and much, much more. She passed this love of sewing down to her grandchildren, who each had a space and a machine in her giant sewing room.
Nancy loved being a mother, but she took being a grandmother to a whole new level. When she learned she was going to be a grandma, she sent her daughters-in-law a “baby gift of the week” for the duration of their pregnancies. No one could match the amount of time and love she showered her grandkids with. She put on a week-long “Grandma Camp” each year: a week filled with field trips, baking contests, sewing projects, and community service, all in matching t-shirts and hats that she custom-made each year. She once said, “My own children were great and I loved being a mom, but grandchildren have been a second helping of dessert!”
Nancy is survived by her husband, Nick of Chelsea; her two sons, Dennis (Susan) Dever of High Bridge, Kentucky, and Bryan (Stefanie) Dever of Dexter; her four grandchildren, Kaylin, Mya, Logan, and Lucy; her brother, Dennis (Dianne) Loy of Milan; and many extended family members and friends that meant the world to her.
Visitation will be held at Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home in Chelsea on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Chelsea Depot on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., followed by a luncheon at 12:00 noon.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Chelsea Senior Center.
Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home, Chelsea.
