A southwest Michigan native who touched the lives of many has passed away, and social media tributes have been pouring in.
Former North Shore Inn owner and longtime elementary school teacher Nancy Howe died Dec. 16 at the age of 75 after a long battle with dementia, according to her obituary:
“Nancy was the definition of poise, grace, and dignity. She was an avid reader and was always ready with a book recommendation. She had a sense of humor like no other and loved a good joke, although she could rarely get to the punchline without laughing herself into tears. She cherished the many friendships and memories over the years at the North Shore. … Nancy had a sparkle that drew people to her and maintained a feisty spirit to the very end. She loved a good adventure and often found mischief along the way.”
Howe is a graduate of Benton Harbor High School, and taught for 30 years at Hull Elementary in Benton Harbor before purchasing the North Shore Inn with her husband, Tom, in 1991. The couple owned an operated the restaurant, which sits along the Paw Paw River in the midst of Harbor Shores Golf Course, for 25 years before selling in 2016.
Tom Howe passed away in 2016, just days after announcing the sale of the restaurant. Over the weekend, current operators of North Shore Inn took to Facebook to pay tribute to Nancy:
“We find it heavy on our hearts to announce the passing of Nancy Howe after a long battle with dementia. Nancy and her husband Tom owned and operated the North Shore from 1991-2016, where they made many friends. Nancy made it a point to welcome everyone who came through the doors warmly and with open arms. She will forever be a part of North Shore Inn and will be greatly loved & missed by many.”
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Others commented on the Facebook post to share their memories as well:
“Nancy was so kind and welcomed everyone. We loved listening to her tell us stories about the history of the area and how life was back then. We had great times at North Shore with Nancy, Tom and the rest of the crew. Those will always be cherished memories. We will miss you Nancy, as much as we still miss Tom.” – Deb Oconnor
“She was the BEST. asked to see and hold our first baby soon after she was born.
When my girls gave her an adult coloring book for Christmas one year you’d have thought she won the lottery. She even showed them a picture she completed while “looking out her window.” My heart breaks for her family.” – Peggy Hamstra Schaffer“Nancy and Tom were great! We always felt like family there. On slow evenings Nancy would come sit at our table to talk and we’d watch Wheel Of Fortune or whatever game show was on with Tom. We miss them.” – Gretchen Klyczek
“Nancy was a beautiful soul who took the time to smile and say hello to everyone. My husband and I enjoyed going to North Shore to talk to Tom and Nancy as much as we did for the food.” – Wendy Eberhardt
Those wishing to eat an award-winning North Shore Inn burger in memory of the Howes can do so from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. North Shore Inn is located at 107 Higman Park Road in Benton Harbor.
