Obituaries

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Nancy Herdman Progelhof, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away in Plano, Texas, on December 31, 2025, at the age of 71.

Nancy was born on November 14, 1954, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Ronald (Ron) Gordon Herdman and Virginia Eversole Herdman. At the time of her birth, Ron was a graduate student at LSU and later worked for Humble Oil, which became Exxon. Nancy lived in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and Metairie, Louisiana. In 1966, Ron was transferred to Houston, where he and Virginia lived for over 50 years.

Nancy attended Pines Presbyterian Church, where she developed her musical skills. After graduating from Westchester High School in 1972, she studied piano at Texas Tech. In 1973, she married David Smith and moved to Amarillo, where she worked in the family appliance store. After earning a degree in medical records, she worked at a local hospital. Their son, Justin Joel Smith, was born in 1977. A few years later, Nancy and Justin moved to Houston, where Nancy was hired by the medical department at Shell Oil’s headquarters in One Shell Plaza.

Later, Nancy married Michael Anderson, whom she had known from her high school years at Pines Presbyterian. Their daughter, Rebecca Elyse Anderson, was born in 1984, and they were later divorced.

Nancy joined a singles group at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church while continuing her work at Shell Oil. Because they had complementary knowledge, Nancy often teamed with John Progelhof in the singles group’s Trivial Pursuit games. Those games evolved from wedges to wedding rings when Nancy and John were married at Memorial Drive in 1990. Their son, Johnny Progelhof, was born in 1993.

In 1995, Nancy ended her employment at Shell to focus on her family when they moved to the Austin area. In 1998, Nancy and John moved to Richardson, Texas. At Canyon Creek Presbyterian Church, Nancy served faithfully as an elder, deacon, and committee member, and she was a member of the Tozier Small Group for over 20 years. She enthusiastically supported her children’s activities, including the City of Richardson Swim Team, where she later served as Treasurer and joined the Board of Directors; Boy Scouts, where she served as Advancement Chair and committee member; and the PTO.

After Johnny began driving, Nancy joined Neil Sperry Gardens as a marketing manager, where she worked on radio advertising for Neil’s show and helped host events.

Nicknamed “Nice Nancy,” Nancy had a gift for making people feel comfortable, supported, and loved. She deeply loved her family, and her sons’ wives cherished her as their mother-in-law. She delighted in being “Momo” to her seven grandchildren and made it a priority to see each grandchild within a day or two of their birth, regardless of the distance or expense. She was known for her great hugs, her attentiveness, her spaghetti, and the special bond she shared with her grandchildren. She loved playing games with her children and grandchildren, and when Johnny’s home was destroyed by fire, Nancy was on the road the very next morning to help his family recover.

Nancy faced a long and courageous journey with Alzheimer’s disease, which ended on December 31, 2025.

Nancy is survived by her husband of 35 years, John Progelhof; her mother-in-law Virginia Progelhof; her brothers, Bill Herdman and Andy Herdman; her children; Justin Smith and wife Molly and their children Tucker and Lyla; Rebecca Jowers and her children Kaden, Collins, and Cora; and Johnny Progelhof and wife Kortni and their children Lucas and Layla. She is also survived by her beloved Shih Tzu, Bella.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Canyon Creek Presbyterian Church.

Nancy’s memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 7, at 2:00 PM at Canyon Creek Presbyterian Church, 3901 North Star Road, Richardson, Texas 75082.

Click here to view Nancy's livestreamed service.