Nancy Lynn Lau,
Longtime Westfield Resident
Nancy Lynn Lau (nee Bogenes), 80, passed away on Monday, August 18, 2025. She was born in Oak Park, Illinois on June 19, 1945 to the late Helen and William Bogenes. She was also preceded in death by her sister, Judy Decker.
Nancy was a lover of life. She was very vibrant and always on the go. She grew up in Oak Park, Illinois, and loved being surrounded by her family, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends. She graduated from Oak Park High and then graduated from Albion College in Michigan where she met the love of her life, Jim Lau. They married in 1967 and began building their own family. They were blessed with seven beautiful children: Jill Brown, Anne (Mike) Dunn, Betsy (Jen) Lau, Peter (Mary) Lau, Alexander (Bonnie) Lau, Duffy Lau, and Brady (Jess) Lau. They brought up their children mostly in Westfield, N.J., where they made lifelong friends from being active in the community, schools, and being members of the Presbyterian Church.
Nancy and Jim were later blessed with 18 grandchildren. She was the best Mimi to all her grandchildren: Sam, Tess, James, Spencer, Katie, Emily, Grace, Graeme, Faith, Lily, Olivia, Natalie, William, Luke, Annabelle, Emma, Luna and Juliet.
Nancy became an RN in 1996, working her way through nursing school while raising seven children of her own. She became a labor and delivery nurse and worked for many years, mostly at Somerset Hospital, caring for mothers and babies with her own brand of care and joviality. She loved nursing so much that even after retiring to Florida in the winters, she continued to work occasionally as a school nurse substitute.
Nancy had a fabulous sense of humor that she inherited from her mother and aunts. Her laugh was loud and joyful and will forever be in our hearts. She was a fun-loving, positive person who loved joking around and dressing in costumes. She loved being with people and enjoyed meeting new people wherever she went. Helping others was second-nature; taking care of people and animals was important to her. She volunteered for various humanitarian causes as well as at animal shelters. She often visited people in need, and she once saved a life at the pickleball court, giving CPR and applying a defibrillator. Her hobbies were many, including attending Broadway musicals, either in New York or at the Papermill Playhouse, volunteering at church and the thrift store, pickleball, tennis, golf, exercising, traveling, and singing. She spent many wonderful seasons when her children were in elementary school performing with the PTO in the Washington School Plays. She was a member of the Chansonettes community chorus for over 40 years and her Florida community choir, The Voices of La Casa, for many years as well.
Nancy and Jim also established great communities and wonderful friends in North Port, Florida and Norway, Maine. She especially loved her time in her community of La Casa, Florida, and was extremely active with her many friends and countless clubs. She loved to travel and was always up for a new adventure. She was a wonderful daughter, sister, cousin, wife, aunt, mother, grandmother, and friend. She will be dearly missed by many.
A memorial service will be held Saturday, September 6, at 10 a.m. at the Presbyterian Church in Westfield. A reception to share, celebrate, and honor Nancy, (aka Tooz, Mom and Mimi) will follow in Assembly Hall. In Nancy’s fun-loving spirit, guests are encouraged to wear color to this Celebration of Life.
In lieu of flowers or food we ask that you donate to the cause closest to mom’s heart- The Newark Animal Humane Society.
Another celebration will take place in North Port, Florida in the winter of 2026.
