“Many consider service a sacrifice. I consider it a privilege.”

Meet Nancy Lacore

A woman with brown hair sitting on a park bench, wearing a white button-up shirt, with trees and blurred foliage in the background.
Group of six astronauts in uniform posing in front of an aircraft or spacecraft, with five standing and one sitting on a platform, all smiling.

Nancy Lacore served our nation for 35 years in the Navy, a career that began as a helicopter pilot and culminated as a three star admiral and the Chief of Navy Reserve where she was entrusted to lead more than 60,000 sailors.

Nancy’s career took her around the world, but it was always anchored by family and a deep love of country.

In Nancy’s family, service runs deep. Following in her dad’s footsteps, Nancy accepted a ROTC scholarship to the College of the Holy Cross, and was commissioned into the Navy after graduation.

Shortly after completing flight school, Nancy met and married her husband Pat, also a Navy helicopter pilot, who served for 29 years. Pat and Nancy have been married for 30 years and are the proud parents of six children — including a Marine, police officer, two tech professionals, and two nursing students — who have all grown up with a deep sense of service and community.

A woman in military uniform posing with six children in a lobby area, some holding flowers and stuffed animals.
Group of people participating in a patriotic walk near the Lincoln Memorial, with one person holding an American flag.

Nancy was on active duty for the first 10 years of her Navy career. But in order to make life with six kids work, she eventually joined the Navy Reserve.

As a reservist, Nancy was deployed twice: the first time in 2011 to Afghanistan when her youngest child was just four years old, and again in 2017 to Djibouti. During both of these deployments, Pat juggled his active duty career while managing the homefront with support from their family and friends, proving that it really does take a village.

In addition to the Navy, Nancy was also a business leader in the private sector and served her community in the non-profit sector. After leaving active duty, she worked as a defense contractor for 10 years. This was a remote job that enabled her to balance full-time work with raising her young kids.

Later, after her year in Afghanistan, Nancy was moved to launch a non-profit. Valor Run, which just closed its doors after 10 years, honored the service women killed in action in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A group of nine people, including teenagers and adults, gathered on a grassy field near a body of water during sunset. Two of the adults are seated on white Adirondack chairs, while the others stand behind them in a line, smiling at the camera.

Finally, after decades of moves, deployments, and duty stations, and like so many others in our community, Nancy and Pat chose to make their home in Mount Pleasant, where they’re building their next chapter together. They are fortunate to have their daughter Mary and her husband Jonathan nearby on Sullivan’s Island.

Service has shaped every chapter of Nancy’s life, and it continues to guide what comes next. Nancy wore the uniform for 35 years, but her commitment to this country and its people didn’t end when she took it off. In this next chapter, Nancy is ready to put her experience, her values, and her voice to work for this community.

Black silhouette of a knight chess piece on a black background.