Nancy Lee Alberts passed away peacefully in her sleep on June 12, 2026. Described by friends as “feisty” and “fearless,” she was a woman of uncommon determination, intellect, and independence. She was endlessly devoted to her family and deeply loved.

Born in Detroit in 1942 to William and Thelma Lee, Nancy was raised in Clintondale and spent her summers on her grandparents’ farm in Boyne City. She described those summers as “complete freedom,” and it was there that she learned to whistle. She excelled academically and won competitions in Spanish guitar performance (playing Malagueña) and in poetry. Armed with a scholarship and the Gibson guitar she purchased with babysitting money, she enrolled at Michigan State University, a decision that received little encouragement at home. Her baffled parents hoped she would at least find a husband there. She did.

At Michigan State, Nancy met Grant Alberts. He later recalled how, during their walks through the Union, she would steer him away from the posted honor roll so he would not discover how smart she was. Unbeknownst to her, he had already seen her name there and happily maintained the charade until she finally caught on. They married in 1963. Over the next 57 years, Nancy supported Grant throughout his career in public service while building a remarkable career of her own. Together they made their homes in Highland Park, Taylor, and Gibraltar. Grant passed away in 2020.

During the 1960s, Nancy devoted herself to raising their three children. In the early 1970s, she decided to pursue a law degree. Although she was accepted to the University of Michigan Law School, the nearby part-time program at Detroit College of Law was the only practical option for a mother of three living in Highland Park. She was rejected. At the time, no women were enrolled in that program. Following a determined lobbying effort by Nancy and Grant, she was admitted to the evening program along with several other women. Ignoring comments about how her children would suffer or that she was draining her husband’s finances on such “frivolity,” she graduated with honors. We are pleased to report that her children grew up both proud and unharmed.

Nancy went on to build a distinguished legal career with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, eventually serving as a deputy chief before joining the Attorney Grievance Commission, where she remained until her retirement. Colleagues, judges, and defense attorneys alike described her as deeply ethical, fair-minded, and thoughtful in her use of prosecutorial discretion. Her family continues to meet women who credit Nancy with inspiring their own legal careers—or those of their mothers. Nancy was always surprised by this. In her mind, she was never leading a movement; she was simply living her life.

To her children and grandchildren, Nancy was a constant source of support and encouragement. She and Grant prioritized education and funded their children’s college on government salaries. She introduced her family to music, history, literature, and other cultures, fostering a lifelong curiosity about the world. Nancy never stopped learning herself. In her thirties, she took guitar lessons. In her forties, she set out to conquer a lifelong fear by learning to ride a horse. It took three years before she could trot, but trot she did, and eventually she learned to canter. Her grandchildren cherish memories of Grandma taking them to ride Tommy, and later Rider, and, of course, helping clean the stable afterward.

Nancy enjoyed life’s simple pleasures. She could often be found on the front porch with a bottle of Tab, a good book, and whichever dogs happened to be keeping her company. She and Grant loved attending performances by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, but they were equally happy spending an evening at a dive bar that featured both kinds of music—country and western. They also shared a not-so-secret ritual of watching WWE wrestling on Sunday mornings, often followed by spirited arguments with the television during Meet the Press. Nancy devoted her volunteer time to libraries and Meals on Wheels.

She is survived by her three children, Donna, Joseph, and Edward; their spouses, Drew, Diane, and Tiffany; and her grandchildren, Michael, David, Marisa, Lauren, Stephen, Jennifer, and Grant. She was especially proud that they all loved and supported each other. She also leaves behind her brother James and his wife, Mary Anne, as well as brothers William and Robert.

She will be buried at a graveside service on Friday, June 19, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Gibraltar Cemetery, at the corner of South Gibraltar Road and Windsor Drive.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to Hoof & Heart of Southern Michigan, a safe haven for slaughter-bound horses, or the Wyandot of Anderdon Nation, a Native culture about whom Nancy enjoyed learning.

Wyandot of Anderdon
P.O. Box 68
Trenton, MI 48183

Hoof and Heart of Southern Michigan
2932 Eaton Rapids Rd
Albion, MI 49224