Obituaries

Nancy O. Daley passed away peacefully in her Mpls home on January 25, 2026, after 10+ yrs of embracing the challenge of living with metastatic breast cancer. Her family’s deep North Dakota roots instilled a reverence for connections to the natural world that were evident in every aspect of her life. Nancy earned a degree in Home Economics from NDAC (now NDSU) and a degree in Sociology from the U of MN. She married Bob Ouradnik, raised their four children to be independent, careful thinkers, and maintained strong commitments to community, equality, and peace. Nancy and her 2nd husband, Carl Daley, moved to Minnesota’s North Shore in 1996, where Nancy’s passion for paper-making, book-making, and visual art took free rein. She was an active member in the West End Garden Club, the Northwoods Fiber Guild, the Grand Marais Art Colony, and North House Folk School. She moved back to the Twin Cities in 2017, with her faithful dog, Beatrice, where she continued to create beautiful things in her South Mpls home. Nancy will be remembered for her free spirit, compassion, creativity, love of travel and gardening, as well as never going without a hot cup of tea and a “biscuit” in the afternoons. Nancy was preceded in death by her parents, Glenn S. and Doris E. Smith, a brother, Robert Paul Smith, and both husbands. Nancy is survived by her brother, Ronald G. Smith, a cousin, John Stanley, her 4 children (Jody, Steve, Mike, and Amy), 2 step-sons (John and Jim), three grandchildren (Jeremy, Madeline, and Max), and three great-granchildren (Everett, London, and Aislinn). Memorial gifts in honor of Nancy’s life should be directed to Habitat for Humanity, Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA), Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA), or your favorite charity that supports the arts.