Nancy Petran

Nancy Petran, 65, formerly of Albert Lea, passed away February 7, 2023, at the Ebenezer Care Center in Minneapolis where she’d briefly been a resident.

Born January 12, 1958, to Don & Mary Ann Petran, Nancy grew up living across the street from Fountain lake where she swam and water skied in the summer and skated in the winter. When learning to waterski, Nancy’s feet were so small that she needed to wear sneakers inside the waterski bindings so they’d fit snuggly.

A member of ALHS class of 1976, Nancy’s adventuresome spirit led her to spend her senior year in Brazil as a Rotary Exchange student. And a fond memory she often shared was working with friends at the Dairy Queen.

After graduating from the University of Minnesota in business, Nancy joined the marketing staff at the Marquette Hotel in Minneapolis. From there she went on to work for Doubletree Hotels (1981-94) doing marketing and living in various locations including Walnut Creek and Los Angeles, CA; Houston, TX; and St. Louis, MO. She then returned to Minneapolis and became a successful realtor with Coldwell Banker Burnet.

One highlight of Nancy’s real estate career was being the listing agent for the house made famous by Prince’s film Purple Rain, which was purchased by Prince in 2015, just eight months before his death.

Nancy is remembered for her wonderful sense of humor that came with an infectious laugh. She loved a good joke and was especially tenacious at card games and Yahtzee. Nancy played the flute and piano and enjoyed winter escapes to the beaches of Mexico. She was a lover of cats and had several over the years, usually with Spanish names (Paco, Zapatto…).

Nancy was an incredible cook and a gracious host. She was a person who didn’t sit around waiting to be waited on—she simply pitched in and got it done. Not known to be shy, Nancy was enthusiastic about life and didn’t take much too seriously.

Nancy is survived by her parents, Don and Mary Ann, brothers Rick and John, nephew James (Gretchen) and their daughter Selene, and niece Betsy (Colin) Sullivan and their daughter Eleanor May.

A family service will be held in the spring.