The year 1924 was notable in many respects. Lenin died and Marlon Brando was born. The first Winter Olympics took place in France, Calvin Coolidge was elected U.S. President, and Caesar Cardini created the first-ever Caesar salad at his restaurant in Tijuana, Mexico. A baby destined to become president, Jimmy Carter, came into the world on Oct. 1.
Nancy Edinger began her own earthly journey that year as well, on May 5. Nancy (Muench) Edinger, 100, of Syracuse, passed away on Aug. 24, 2024, with family at her side and in the loving care of Francis House near where she spent her first five years on Syracuse’s Northside.
Predeceased by her husband of 59 years, Roger Edinger, and her grandson, Eric Edinger, she is survived by her daughters Betsy Edinger of South Onondaga and Sue Edinger (Bob Lotkowictz) of Skaneateles; three sons, Dan Edinger (Pam Field) of Marco Island, FL, John Edinger (Maria Niedos) of Chicago, and David Edinger (Amy Edinger) of Denver; 14 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren, and her sister Marilyn Bittner.
Her father, Norbert Muench, co-owned the Muench-Kreutzer Candle Company, which was nearby Francis House as well as the original MacArthur Baseball Stadium. Nancy recalled watching games from the upper windows of the factory.
When she was six, her family moved to the Strathmore neighborhood.
She graduated from Onondaga Valley Academy in 1943, then attended Katherine Gibbs School in New York City and Hobart and William Smith Colleges, followed by serving as an executive secretary at Merchants Bank before marriage.
Nancy considered her greatest lifetime achievement to be the five children she and husband, Roger, raised in the same house on Twin Hills Drive where she grew up. Dan, Betsy, John, Sue and David attended city schools, where Nancy was an active volunteer including serving as president of the John T. Roberts Mothers’ Club. “I can’t take much credit,” Nancy claimed. “Their father and I gave them the tools to succeed, but they did it themselves. I was lucky that my parenting style — my daughters call it ‘benign neglect’ — matched the safety of the time.”
The Edinger family remains close, spending summers on Skaneateles Lake and celebrating major holidays together. Today the cottage is shared by all five families, with grandchildren and great-grandchildren enjoying it just as their parents did – and still do.
Hobbies filled Nancy’s life with creativity and friendships. Knitting, playing bridge, reading as a member of the Strathmore Book Club and teaching her children various lawn games were some of her favorite activities. She was a devout Catholic, spending many of those years at Most Holy Rosary Church in Syracuse. Despite church teachings on the subject of mercy, she showed none to novices at croquet or card games. Later in life she took up jigsaw puzzles and computer card games, as well as serving as a volunteer with CONTACT Community Services, Rescue Mission, and the Syracuse City Schools as a reading tutor.
Before her move to Francis House, Nancy spent several of her most cherished years living with her daughter Betsy in South Onondaga, never failing to remind Betsy to make sure the cats were in for the night.
A memorial mass will be held on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 10 a.m. at St. Mary’s of the Lake in Skaneateles.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Francis House in Nancy’s honor.
Their mission is to provide a family and a home to people with terminal illnesses so they can die with dignity and experience the unconditional love of God. That was certainly Nancy’s experience.
To send condolences, visit robertdgrayfuneralhome.com.
