Nancy Barbeau

Barbeau, Nancy Ann (Kemp)
Age 87, of Lake Saint Croix Beach, MN died peacefully on September 12, 2018. Preceded in death by her husband Bob, son James, and her siblings Judy, Thomas and Patricia. Nancy lived in St. Paul for all of her life before moving to Lake St. Croix Beach with Bob in 1994. A child of the Great Depression, she was the first born of Gerald and Florence (Gardner) Kemp on March 4, 1931 in St. Paul. She is survived by her children Thomas (Carol Russel), Andrew (Donna Boyd), Victoria Kempf (Kurt), and Valerie Bartl, 11 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Also survived by her steadfast late-in-life companion Jack Grande of St. Croix Beach, and her siblings Angie, Kathy, Linda and Valerie. Nancy was a devoted, loving (and fun-loving) wife, mother and grandmother and will be dearly missed by all who knew her. She loved to play bridge and could brag about once being in a tournament with Omar Sharif. She loyally maintained many friendships over the years and was fond of hosting parties at the family compound a block from the St. Croix River. She loved the beach and she always enjoyed sharing a glass of wine with friends and family. Nancy loved to travel with her husband, Bob, and together they visited Europe and Mexico on several occasions. With her sister Judy she travelled to the Canary Islands. For many years she and Bob would winter in Florida and on the gulf coast of Alabama. She was a graduate of St. Joseph Academy in St. Paul and held many interesting jobs over the years including several with Muska Lighting and a memorable stint supervising the kitchen at St. Joseph Hospital in St. Paul. She enjoyed the many relationships she built with her co-workers and customers. Nancy was a lovely, graceful woman who turned heads wherever she went. She had a quick wit and loved to read and garden and do her crossword puzzles in ink. To her children she passed on her love for cooking and learning and an enduring spirit of self-reliance and how to care for others. Our thanks go out to the kind and caring staff at the Pillars hospice in Oakdale.