About Nancy Y. Franco-Maldonado
Nancy Y. Franco-Maldonado was the loving wife of the Honorable Roberto Maldonado, the Alderman of the 26th Ward and a former Cook County Commissioner. She succumbed to pancreatic cancer on December 29, 2016.
Nancy was the much-adored mother of Rene, Roberto II and Raquel to whom she imparted values of character, strength and kindness; and leaves behind her parents, Felicita Montanez and Hector Franco, and many beloved aunts, relatives and friends.
Born on January 13, 1970, into a family of community activists, Nancy was raised in the Humboldt Park neighborhood and educated in the Catholic school system. Nancy graduated from St. Boniface Elementary School, Holy Trinity High School and Rosary College in River Forest.
Nancy worked for fifteen years as a mortgage underwriter and later as an auditor for Household Bank International. Nancy encouraged young, first-time homeowners to invest in the 26th Ward, many of whom became the next generation of Humboldt Park residents.
She eventually left her profession to raise her children and devote more time to advancing the goals and aspirations of her community.
Nancy was a trusted sounding board for her husband and served as his chief political advisor during his two Aldermanic election campaigns, a role in which she helped to shape and define key policy initiatives.
The vision, sacrifice and dedication of Nancy serve as an example to all.
She reached out to assist single mothers by coordinating turkey giveaways and boot drives and actively supported the Save Our Seniors Foundation (S.O.S.) and the LGBT community. She actively supported the building of the 65th Infantry Borinqueneers Building to provide affordable housing for Latino veterans.
Nancy envisioned the construction of the Paseo Boricua Arts Building, a mixed-use building designed to provide affordable residences for artists with commercial space and a theater on the ground floor and campaigned to name the Humboldt Park Library Branch for Congressman Luis V. Gutierrez.
A woman of elegance, grace and charm, Nancy will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by her many relatives, friends and admirers. To her beloved family, Nancy imparts a legacy of faithfulness, service and dignity.
The Nancy Franco-Maldonado Foundation for Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer
"The heartbreaking loss of my wife Nancy to pancreatic cancer has opened a world of suffering I never could have imagined'" said Maldonado. "With a five-year survival rate of less than 10%, it is a cancer that strikes quickly and leaves survivors helpless and lost. That's why I introduced a resolution to have the City of Chicago join the World Pancreatic Cancer Day. "
Maldonado further explained, "I have now met countless families affected by pancreatic cancer and we have shared our immense feelings of loss. That is why it is so important to create awareness of this disease and support families in our communities who find themselves hopeless. We need to find the resources, like we have for other cancers, to fund medical research for the early detection of pancreatic cancer."
"I am very proud that my three children, especially my sons René and Roberto II, helped to create the Nancy Franco-Maldonado Foundation for Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer. They have taken the pain of our suffering to do something good, and to give us hope that we can have an impact on improving the survival rate for pancreatic cancer."
