Nancy Joan (Glidden) Pike

Nancy Joan Pike, 87 of Kalamazoo, passed away peacefully with her family by her side on July 5, 2023. She was born on May 1, 1936, in Kalamazoo to Leo and Helen (Cannom) Glidden.

She attended Oakwood Elementary and graduated from State High School in 1954. After high school she briefly attended Western Michigan University to study elementary education. During high school, she worked at Harding’s in Oakwood. After college, she went on to work at Home Savings Bank, and then spent four years at Hercules Powder as a billing clerk. Her work career was a little bit of everything.

On November 24, 1990, Nancy married Ralph Pike. They were blessed to join their families and share over 32 years together.

Nancy loved spending time with her family. She had 16 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. In 1991, after retirement, she and Ralph traveled to Florida and enjoyed walking the beach, eating at new restaurants, watching dolphins, and taking cruises.

In her earlier years, Nancy’s hobbies were reading, sewing, knitting, and volunteering for the elderly. She often knitted hats for cancer patients and newborns at Borgess Hospital.

Nancy was a servant of her faith and longtime member of Northeastern Baptist Church. She had a strong relationship with her Savior, who now keeps her in His eternal care.

Nancy is survived by her husband, Ralph; sister Janet Slate; children Shari Smith, Nancy Diment, Mark (Barb) Forward; stepchildren Mark (Mary) Pike, Ruth (Mark) Sallee, and Time Pike.

A Celebration of Nancy’s Life will be held At Northeastern Baptist Church on July 22, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. As this is a celebration, please wear no dark clothing, per mom’s request.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in honor of Nancy to the American Cancer Society. Please visit Nancy’s personalized webpage to share condolences and memories with her family at https://www.langelands.com