Nancy Blechle

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Dr. Nancy Marie Blechle, 43, of Carbondale died Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2014, at her home.

She was born March 25, 1970, in Perryville, Mo., daughter of Robert J. and Georgia Fay Henderson Blechle.

Nancy had been an educator at Pinckneyville Community High School. She graduated from St. Vincent de Paul High School in Perryville in 1988. She earned a BSE from Southeast Missouri State University in 1993 and a MNS in 2000. She received a Ph.D. in 2007 at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale.

In 2003 she received Graduate Assistant Outstanding Teaching Award for the College of Education and Human Services at SIU-C. In 2008 Doc B was a Coca-Cola Scholar Educator of Distinction and in 2012 received KFVS12 Heartland's Best Teacher Award. Nancy enjoyed scuba diving, motorcycle riding, camping, traveling, glass bead making, reading and laughing.

Survivors include her mother, Georgia Blechle of Perryville; two sisters, Debra Kay (Allan) Quamen of Carbondale and Connie Ann (Norman) Lambert of Fenton, Mo.; her partner, Ellen Suzanne Smothers; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her father.

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. today and from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Friday at Young and Sons Funeral Home. The parish wake will be at 7 p.m. today. The rosary will be recited at 8:30 a.m. Friday.

Mass will be at 10 a.m. Friday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, with the Rev. Mike Joyce officiating. Burial will be in Mount Hope Cemetery.

Memorials are preferred to the SVHS Class of 1988 Memorial Scholarship or Pinckneyville Educational Foundation.

Online condolences may be made at youngandsonsfuneral.com.