Nancy Wille, a lifelong volunteer, historian, and one of Englewood’s most devoted residents, has been named Grand Marshal of the 2025 Pioneer Days Parade in recognition of her decades-long commitment to the community she helped shape.
Born in Illinois, Wille moved to Englewood with her family at age 10. Since then, her contributions have touched nearly every corner of civic life in the town, from its institutions and clubs to its cultural heritage and preservation efforts.
She began her working life early, helping her father with his Mercury motor dealership, telegram office, and pet store. Her father also served as a volunteer firefighter and Red Cross director, setting the tone for what became a life of active service. Wille worked at Pantry Pride and Heinz Interiors, opened her own sewing business on Dearborn Street, and later became a computer programmer at First of Englewood Savings and Loan, where she remained for 20 years.
Over the years, Wille held leadership roles in numerous organizations. She is a charter member of the Women of the Moose, the Women of the Elks (DOES), and the Young Women’s Club. She helped start Englewood’s first Red Hat Society and served as treasurer for the Lemon Bay Sailing Club. She also contributed to the Lemon Bay High School band program, sewing uniforms and repairing football gear.
For over a decade, Wille served as secretary of the Englewood Historical Society and helped produce dozens of documentary-style videos chronicling the town’s people, places, and past. Subjects included the Placida fisheries, Cedar Point, the Englewood Library, and civic groups such as the Rotary and Masonic clubs. Many of the films were shown at Lemon Fest and continue to be used in community education.
A proud motorcyclist, Wille was the first woman to attend Mercury’s motor mechanic school and logged more than 250,000 miles on her bike as a member of the Motor Maids. She appeared in the local film The Bail, and once filmed a TV segment about Englewood with humorist Erma Bombeck, who rode behind her on a motorcycle over the Englewood bridge.
Wille remains active in local life, swimming three times a week and participating in multiple civic groups, including the Englewood Orchid and Garden Clubs, the American Legion Auxiliary, and the Englewood Camera Club, where she has won several photography awards.
Her family, the Scotts, were honored with the Legacy Award, a distinction given to families whose contributions span generations. In addition, Wille herself received one of Englewood’s most colorful honors: the Smoked Mullet Award, presented by the Secret Society of Smoked Mullets, a group that celebrates local pioneers and historic families. “I am honored to have received the Smoked Mullet Award,” she said, reflecting on her ties to the town’s traditions and deep-rooted sense of community.
Wille will lead the 2025 Pioneer Days Parade down Dearborn Street in a classic convertible on Monday, September 1, at 9 a.m. Her selection as Grand Marshal reflects a lifetime of service defined not by titles or ceremony, but by dedication, resilience, and a quiet belief in the value of showing up and helping out.
Her story is a portrait of Englewood itself: hardworking, humble, and deeply proud of its past.
Congratulations, Nancy!
