Nan Archinal

Nan Archinal (nee Brandenburg), of Shaker Heights, Ohio; formerly of Middletown and Cincinnati, Ohio, passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 17, 2009. Loving wife of the late Bill Archinal, with whom she spent many years in Key Largo and Miami, Florida, before moving back to Ohio in 2001 to be with her son. Devoted and supportive mother of Michael E. Jackson (JoAnne) of Shaker Heights, who instilled in him the need to do your best and to have faith in what you do. Proud grandmother of Anastasia Christman (Michael Bottoms) of Middleburg, Virginia and Bethany Friedlander (Brad) of Pepper Pike, Ohio, who followed their passage into caring and accomplished adults with a great deal of pride and faith that each would make a positive difference in their worlds. Loving daughter of the late George Douglas and Violet Brandenburg of Mount Sterling, Kentucky. Caring sister of Eugene Brandenburg (Virginia), Mary Meek (late Robert) and Bonnie Brandenburg, all of Kentucky, and the late Dan Brandenburg (Virginia of Middletown, Ohio). Loving aunt and friend to many. Her first husband, William Ernest Jackson of Middletown, passed away in 1993.

Nan was very independent minded and a devout Christian who practiced her daily devotionals. She studied the Bible with a strong commitment to understanding its meaning and practiced her faith in her interaction with others, especially as a Stephen's minister and as a member of several prayer circles. After Hurricane Andrew, when their damaged house was the only one standing on the street, she and Bill provided shelter to neighbors and then lovingly rebuilt their home. Nan enjoyed crafts and filled each of her homes with sewing, painting, sea shell objects, and angels, and she never owned a piece of clothing or a household item that she couldn't improve with a little color and ruffles. While living in Florida, she enjoyed tennis and golf (including achieving a hole-in-one). Nan was always impeccably groomed, as expected of a former beautician, cosmetics representative and instructor at a cosmetology college. Always wanting to help others, she became a home-health aide, skilled in encouraging her patients in their physical therapy.

When her son served in Vietnam, she anxiously awaited his safe return and sent countless "care packages" that he and his Marines enjoyed. In her later years, she enjoyed reading, especially the Christian novels that she considered a treat when her Bible-study work for the day was completed. Most of all, she enjoyed her last several years close to her son, Michael. She wanted to hear about the cases he tried as a private attorney and then as a prosecutor and to tell him what she would have done as a juror and what sentence the judge should have imposed. Nan also leaves behind her many friends to whom she gave countless hours of patient listening to the important matters in their lives. She will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved her.

Memorial service will be held Saturday, February 7, 2009 at 2:00 pm at WILSON-SCHRAMM-SPAULDING FUNERAL HOME, 3805 Roosevelt Blvd., Middletown, with Reverend Tim Doty officiating. Visitation will be prior to the service from 1:00 - 2:00 pm. Memorial donations may be made to the charity of donor's choice.

Memories of Nan from her granddaughters:

Anastasia: At first glance, the "garden" was nothing more than a pile of rocks. It looked more like debris than anything else. My other grandparents had patches of vegetables or beds of brightly colored flowers in their backyards so I was a bit confused by what this delicate woman, my new Grandmother, was calling her garden. But then I got close to it and realized that among the stones were hidden treasures: a tiny ceramic frog; a gnome peeping around a corner; a seashell covered with sequins. Clearly Nan – for we all agreed that "Grandma" with its many connotations was never quite right for her - had a very different way of seeing the world.

Nan had the ability to see potential in everything. A vase might have an attractive shape, but she believed that the lines could be improved with the addition of some mirrors. The view from the window was better appreciated when juxtaposed with brightly colored stained glass. One might have sweeter dreams if during a nap the pillow on the sofa was edged with lace. Nan saw a lustrous world around her, and she assigned herself the job of coaxing that splendor out of her surroundings. If at times her style threatened to overwhelm the boundaries of her home, it was only because her faith in beauty was so expansive.

Nan herself was lovely. Petite and perfectly coiffed, Nan always took the trouble to dress well. She favored well-pressed pantsuits or a full-skirted dress, coupled with shoes with a heel- and where on earth was she able to find "grown-up" shoes in such a very tiny size, anyway – and coordinating jewelry. There may have been some element of vanity behind her efforts, and why not when she looked so many years younger than her age? But I always felt, too, that her conscientiousness reflected a respect for those she would encounter that day. Everyone from her husband to the checker at the grocery store was worthy and deserving of a serious effort to look one's best. By dressing well, she was showing respect for others and doing her part to bring beauty into their world.

Over the years, she revealed bits and pieces of her own history. In a soft vaguely Southern accent, this woman with the improbably fancy name shared stories of growing up in Kentucky and Southern Ohio, raising her son and seeing him go to war and of being a working woman, first for a giant cosmetic company and later as a nursing aide. And while the details remain fuzzy what is clear is that fond memories were mingled with plenty of challenges and periods of unhappiness. It would have been easy indeed for her to look at the world and see nothing but a pile of rocks, but instead Nan saw a beautiful garden. And even more importantly, she encouraged those who loved her to do the same.

Bethany: Nan also had a sense of fun and adventure that endeared her to the heart of a young granddaughter. Collecting shells on the Florida beach was an adventure for a kid from Ohio and when Nan suggested chasing the sea creatures out to the shells by boiling them in formaldehyde, we ended up outside coughing, choking and laughing as she hosed us down to eliminate the fumes. And as kids who were allowed to watch little or no TV at home, we were amazed when Nan willingly set her alarm for 1:00 a.m. so we could wake up to watch the movie "Fame" on HBO while nestled on her bed enjoying popcorn!

Funeral Home:
Wilson-Schramm-Spaulding
3805 Roosevelt Blvd.
Middletown, OH
US 45044