Nancy Carol Cavanaugh
SARASOTA - Nancy Carol Cavanaugh, 81, of Sarasota, Fla., died early Dec. 28, 2023, of natural causes. Born July 11, 1942, in Gary, Ind., she was proud of her Italian heritage and equally proud of the family she formed over decades by bonds beyond blood. This began as early as the 1950s when she became part of Robert and Sylvia Koch’s family. The Kochs loved her as their own and welcomed her family into theirs without hesitation.
Beginning in the 1970s, Nancy spent most of her professional career working within the hotel industry in Chicago, Ill.; Phoenix, Ariz.; San Francisco, Calif.; and Sarasota, Fla. For most of three decades, she pursued her wanderlust across the country, living multiple times in Chicago, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Sarasota, with stints in San Diego and Venice, Calif., along the way. In 2010, she settled in Sarasota for good, retiring later in the decade and living a comparatively quiet life.
“Quiet” was not an adjective often associated with Nancy. Known for her larger-than-life personality and lavish parties thrown for birthdays and other celebrations, Nancy leaves behind hundreds of friends and loved ones. Her family knows she will be the subject of toasts for days, weeks and years to come.
Nancy is survived by her daughter Lisa Small of Sarasota, Fla.; son Chuck Small and husband, Tom Attaway, of Raleigh, N.C.; and son Tom Small and wife, Lynn Small and granddaughters Jordan and Sydney of Springfield, Va.
Other survivors include sister-in-law Audrey Tornabene; stepsister Minnie Micchia; and siblings Walter Koch, Carol Westphal, Sandy Mackulak, Richard Koch, and Bill Koch, as well as nieces and nephews in the Tornabene, York, Westphal, Mackulak, Koch, Lawrence, Kuhn, and Smith families.
She was predeceased by her biological parents Sam and Theresa; her stepmother, Sarah; and her foster parents, Robert and Sylvia Koch, as well as her siblings, Russ Tornabene, Angelo “Tony” Tornabene, Fred Tornabene, and Mark Koch.
At Nancy’s request, no memorial service is occurring at this time. The family wishes to thank the staffs of The Pines of Sarasota and Tidewell Hospice for providing care and kindness to Nancy in the past few months. Memorial contributions can be made to The Pines of Sarasota.