Obituary of Nancy Claire Preston

God called home Nancy Claire Preston (nee Bongiorni) a long time resident of Brevard County Florida on May 24, 2021 at the age of 74 years.

 

She was preceded in death by her son Daniel Delorenzo, and her parents Joseph and Eleanor “Sis” Bongiorni. 

 

She will be remembered and cherished by her two daughters, Cher Kleinschnitz (nee Delorenzo) and Elena Hamant (nee Preston), her sister Barbara Browne (nee Bongiorni) and their spouses, children and grandchildren. 

 

Nancy was born on November 8, 1946 in the Canal Zone, a United States Providence of Panama while her father was in the US Air Force working with base engineers. Her mother worked in Panama as well with the Interamerocan Geodetic Survey. Nancy and her sister Barbara were born and raised through their high school graduations in Panama. Nancy moved to Florida in 1966 to attend beauty school. She began a successful career specializing in hair styling. She prided herself on her career in cosmetology doing hair for some of the rich and famous. 

 

She started a family with Joseph Delorenzo and had her first two children Cher and Daniel. She later married Robert Preston and they had one child, Elena. Her children gave her six grandchildren; Justin Lewis, Quintin Tyler, Chelsea Delorenzo (Decker), Hannah Delorenzo, Alexis Hamant, and Megan Hamant. She had four great children; Macie Lewis, Emma Lewis, Jackson Decker, and Ryleigh Tyler. 

 

Nancy always enjoyed the outdoors. In her youth, she rode horses in Panama and told many stories of her special horse Diablo. She was a very adventurous young lady going against the grain and riding motorcycles as well as race horses. Meanwhile she also competed in local beauty pageants. She later played competitive softball and loved fishing and boating throughout most of her life. She passed on her passion for horses to her daughter Elena and enjoyed spending time together at rodeos. She always loved the ocean and the river and spent the last many years quietly living alongside the Indian River near several close friends. 

 

A private celebration of life is being planned.

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