Wednesday, January 20, 2016
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
A community leader who also was part of one of the Mahoning Valley’s founding families has died.
Nancy Brockett Tod, 97, died Monday night. Her husband of 67 years, Fred Tod Jr., died in 2008.
“She was a wonderful mother,” said Sallie Tod Dutton of Youngstown, one of the couple’s daughters. “She was devoted to my dad. I know everyone says that, but back in those days, it was seen as sometimes even more important than catering to your kids.”
Fred Tod Jr. was a great-grandson of David Tod, the Ohio governor during the Civil War, and a grandson of William Tod, who helped develop the iron and steel industry in the Valley.
Nancy Tod was active in several organizations including Planned Parenthood of Youngstown, the county’s mental health board, the women’s board of the former Youngstown Hospital Association, the Garden Club of Youngstown, the Junior League of Youngstown and was a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church.
It was through that involvement that she met Jean Tyler, with whom she would become close friends.
Tyler moved to Youngstown from Cleveland in 1948 when her husband, John, started working at American Welding.
Both women volunteered at Planned Parenthood, met there and became good friends.
“We were partners in crime, shall we say,” Tyler said.
The two women started playing golf and bridge together, and their husbands became friends.
“She was delightful,” Tyler said.
Tod was born in Battle Creek, Mich., but her family moved to Youngstown when Tod was a toddler. She graduated from The Rayen School and then attended Bradford Jr. College in Massachusetts.
“She worked briefly with her father at the Packard Youngstown Motor Company,” her daughter said.
Her father, Benjamin Brockett, owned the company.
“She was a wonderful hostess and she loved entertaining,” Tod Dutton said.
Arrangements are being handled by the McCauley Funeral Home, and a memorial service is planned. Tod will be buried in the Tod Homestead Cemetery in the city.
Besides Tod Dutton, Tod leaves two other daughters, Dorothy Tod of Warren, Vt., and Nancy McFadden of Woodland Hills, Calif.; nine grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.
Another daughter, Marguerite Tod Koff, is deceased.
“My parents were devoted to each other and generous with all of us,” Tod Dutton said.