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 1939 - 2006 (66 years)
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| Name |
Nancy Jane DEAL |
| Birth |
12 Oct 1939 |
Hickory, North Carolina  |
| Gender |
Female |
| Death |
13 Sep 2006 |
Lake Worth, Palm Beach County, Florida |
| Burial |
18 Sep 2006 |
Columbia,Richland County,South Carolina |
| Person ID |
I21 |
Marshall and Allied Families |
| Last Modified |
19 Mar 2024 |
| Family 2 |
Donald Wray MARSHALL, b. 11 May 1936, Mount Airy, Surry County, North Carolina d. 3/18/2024, Lake Worth, Palm Beach County, Florida (Age ~ 87 years) |
| Marriage |
24 Mar 1987 |
Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina |
| Family ID |
F7 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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| Notes |
- Nancy died peacefully at 12:18 AM in her home in Lake Worth, Florida. Present around her bed at the time of her death were her husband, Donald Marshall,her son, Patrick Mullins,her brother, Bob Mullins and his wife Elizabeth, her stepdaughter, Natalie Landress, David Marshall, Sr. (the keeper of this database), and my wife, Betsy. [September 13, 2006]
__________________________________________
-----Original Message----- From: John Patrick Mullins [mailto:jpatrickmullins@gmail.com] Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 9:44 PM To: corinnelbloch@gmail.com; teafreezburn@aol.com; jillseay@msn.com; GeraldCParris@aol.com; qcordair@ix.netcom.com; ljbanning@yahoo.com; jpatrickmullins@gmail.com; jpmullin@svsu.edu; patlantis76@hotmail.com; sjvann@juno.com; ehrlich3@bellsouth.net; Linda@cordair.com; jwgarrick@charter.net; mariner9@bellsouth.net; bobdeal@bellsouth.net; willafo@msn.com; willafo@bellsouth.net; janetlfrancis@bellsouth.net; speedyseay@msn.com; pdjohnson@mbjb.com; selfridr@bellsouth.net; Justin121217@yahoo.com; dmarshall3@sc.rr.com; SamRuth@alltell.com; jjohnson@vwlawfirm.com; jsoles@ascomortgage.com; deanna9977@alltel.net; susan.d.b@earthlink.net; twcorbell@bellsouth.net; rdeal4@charter.net; eadeal@bellsouth.net; Carl Paluck; genoseay@msn.com; Windy Crutchfield; Windy1370@cs.com; ruth@lexumcsc.com; rba@tpgl.com; info@sibaweb.com Subject: Remembering Nancy Marshall
Friends, family, and other loved ones--
My stepfather Don and I received so much love and support from so many people over the month and a half since Nancy's death. Some of you came to Mom's funeral or visitation or dropped by the house later to visit, some sent cards or e-mails or flowers, some called to check in on us, and some went far beyond the call of friend duty!
I've tried to contact as many people as I can individually. But I haven't gotten back to you all, and I didn't want any more time to pass before sending you our thanks. I hope you will forgive the impersonal character of a collective e-mailing.
I wanted to take this opportunity to send you copies of the obituary, eulogy, and elegy that I wrote for Mom, in the event that they may be of some interest. Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. As you might well imagine, the last month and a half have been tough. But with friends to see you through, even the unbearable can be borne.
On behalf of myself, Don, and my mother's memory, I thank you, for everything--
Patrick Mullins
P.S. Please keep in touch, and feel free to contact me anytime at 561-889-9718, or jpatrickmullins@gmail.com .
OBITUARY FOR MRS. NANCY D. MARSHALL
After a long and determined struggle against cancer, Mrs. Nancy D. Marshall, 66, died peacefully in her beloved home in Lake Worth, Florida, on September 13, 2006. She was born Nancy Jane Deal on October 12, 1939, in Hickory, North Carolina, the daughter of Boyce S. and Janie B. Deal. Mrs. Marshall graduated from high school in Spartanburg, South Carolina, in 1958 and lived in Columbia, South Carolina, for over twenty-five years.
She was married to John P. Mullins, Jr., from 1959 to 1984, and to Donald W. Marshall from 1987 until her demise, which came six months before their twentieth wedding anniversary. She had one son, Patrick Mullins, from her first marriage and two stepchildren-Natalie Landress and Mark Marshall-from her second marriage.
Mrs. Marshall worked at times as an administrative assistant and a store manager. She preferred part-time secretarial jobs offering her the flexibility to make her family her highest priority. Nancy Marshall was a self-trained painter, a sublime cook, an elegant hostess, and a lover of animals. She also expressed her creative imagination in her Lake Worth home and garden (twice awarded by the Parrot Cove Garden Club).
Widely adored for her sweetness of disposition, strength of character, and joy in living, Mrs. Marshall was a loving and dearly loved wife, a fiercely devoted mother and grandmother, and a dedicated friend whose sunny outlook graced many hearts. She battled cancer for over three years with a tenacity, courage, and serenity that moved and inspired all who knew her.
Nancy Marshall is survived by her husband, Don Marshall, 70, of Lake Worth; her son, Patrick Mullins, and future daughter-in-law, Corinne L. Bloch; her stepchildren Mark Marshall and Natalie Landress; her stepgrandchildren, Aerin Sealy, Justine Marshall, Justin Marshall, and Shir Bloch; her younger brother, Robert L. Deal, and his wife Elizabeth; her former husband, John Mullins; and many intimate friends, close neighbors, and other loved ones.
The family will be receiving friends on Monday, September 18, 2006 from 10:00 am until 12:00 pm with a funeral service beginning at 12:00 pm at Greenlawn Memorial Park and Funeral Home, 845 Leesburg Road, Columbia, SC 29209. Interment will follow at Elmwood Cemetery and Gardens, 501 Elmwood Avenue, Columbia, SC 29201. In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Mrs. Marshallā??s memory can make a donation in her name to Palm Beach Cats, P.O. Box 2922, Palm Beach, Florida, 33480.
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The eulogy below was written by Dr. Patrick Mullins
EULOGY FOR MRS. NANCY D. MARSHALL
Nancy Deal. . . Nancy Mullins. . . Nancy Marshall was my mother. She was also my best friend. Mom and I shared so much, learned so much, enjoyed so much together. She was always there for me, always had time for me, always made me feel loved and appreciated. And now she's gone.
I won't try to tell you who Nancy Marshall was, or to give you all the reasons why my mother was so special, or to explain why losing her leaves us so empty and hurting inside. You all knew her, and I hope that today and in the days, weeks, and months ahead, we can talk about Mom and share our memories of her sweetness and silliness and stubbornness and everything else that made her a miracle.
My father once told me that she was the only completely good person he ever knew. And I think he summed her up pretty well right there. I won't try to list Mom's virtues. We don't have that kind of time! I'll say only this. Her virtues, her unique qualities, flowed from one source: an intense love of existence.
I never knew anyone quite so alive. She loved painting and music and dancing and boating and gardening and cooking food and enjoying food. (Mom never ate food. She always savored it. Whether she was relishing pickled ginger with her sushi, or Stilton and crackers in bed, or chocolate milk with a chili dog, she'd say, (Mmm, this is a real toe-curler!¯) Mom taught me so many things. But above all, she taught me to love life and take joy in every minute. She didn't say that as a platitude. Mom didn't have to tell you how to enjoy life-she showed you how it was done.
During one summer in Lake Worth, when I was a teenager, Mom and I resolved to walk to the beach every morning and watch the sun rise. Well, we didn't keep that resolution for very long. But I remember one of those dark mornings, and the delight Mom took in each color of the sky and the water as the sun rose over the sea. We would name the colors together.
Some people look at the ocean or the sky and just see blue. But Nancy Marshall could find a half-dozen shades of blue, as well as browns, purples, greens, and pinks. She looked at the world with the trained eye of the artist. For her, the world was a canvas painted just for her pleasure. She took delight in counting each wave and tracing each cloud as if it were a carefully selected brushstroke.
Mom would point out to me, with glee, the shape of a leaf or flower, green moss growing on a wet rock, or the unselfconscious frolic of a child or an animal. She scrutinized everything around her, appreciating the irreplaceable uniqueness of each moment. Mom thought there was no excuse for unhappiness. There was just too much beauty in the world, she'd tell me, to ever feel sorry for yourself.
Mom reserved a special tenderness for children and animals. She was a very cool Mom, and knew how to have a ball with boys. She couldn't turn away a stray cat or dog. The neighborhood's strays must have gotten the word around that Nancy Marshall was an easy touch, because they came mooching by the dozen. Mom loved animals, and not just the cuddly ones! Two weeks ago, she and Aunt Elizabeth were watching a nature program on TV. When Elizabeth commented on how ugly a sea lion was, Mom added, "Oh, but he has a loveable face!"¯
She could read a person's soul in his face and size him up in a minute. Mom enjoyed observing people and deducing their character from their actions. She was a great student of human character. If she figured you for a rotter, you could expect only her "steely gaze"¯ in return. Mom's soft-heartedness definitely had its limits! But if she saw in your face a kindred spirit, she would bond with you instantly, and you could be assured from that moment on of having a steadfast, loving, endlessly generous friend in Nancy Marshall.
Mom's creativity was astonishing, but she always deprecated her talents and never fully acknowledged her own potential. She could have been professional teacher, painter, interior decorator, or cook. (Try and find a better cook-you won't!) Nancy had some regret that she didn't advance her education and pursue a career. But all in all I think she was happy that she put her family first. For much of her life, Mom took part-time jobs freeing her to be home for me by the time school was out. And she was always there when I needed her most.
Mom has had to deal with sickness in some form or another since her childhood. Some people respond to chronic illness by sinking into self-pity. Nancy would have none of that. She never felt sorry for herself and resented pity from others. She would not allow bad health to define her character or her life. For Mom, life and what we choose to do with it was all that matter.
And she never took life for granted. That was the source of her strong will, inner calm, and independent spirit. Nancy never took suffering seriously. Her's was a spirit untouched-and untouchable-by death or adversity or ugliness of any kind. From her love of existence, her understanding of what in life is really important, Nancy derived a wisdom that no tragedy could pull down, a serenity that no pain could rip up.
Mom's joy in living was so intense that she couldn't contain it. She emitted her inner light through her green, gray, and hazel flecked eyes, through her brilliant laughter, through those jewel-like dimples, and the wrinkle of her still freckled, girlish nose. Nancy drew people like a flame on a cold night. Whenever I'd return after leaving her alone in a mall for a few minutes, I'd find Mom listening eagerly to a stranger's life story-or else some old guy would be putting the moves on her!
Those of us who loved Nancy Marshall can well remember all of those long talks we had with her. An hour on the phone with Mom could replenish the thirstiest soul. She never failed to calm our fears and quell our doubts, to restore our belief in the possibilities of life and in our own powers to make the most of them.
Even when she was bound to her sick bed, there was no end to Mom's generosity for those she loved, no end to her determination to wrench the last drop of enjoyment from life. Cancer could not dim that magnificent smile. Even in her final days, Mom smiled for us and made wisecracks to put everyone at ease. She always thought of those she loved and never of her own pain.
Cancer broke her body, but it could not defeat her spirit. It could not batter her into submission. It could not make her give up and give in. She never let it darken her view of life as a limitless, sunlit vista with new delights behind each hill and new adventures around each corner. She would not surrender her love for this world, for those people and things that kept her going to the end, for us. Mom remained true to her values in the face of terrible tribulations. She made heroism look easy. Nancy Marshall would not let cancer defeat her. She fought, she suffered, she died-but she won.
How someone in whom the life force was so powerful could be dead-that's a mystery we're struggling right now to understand. I can no more imagine the world without Mom than I can imagine the heavens without sun, moon, or stars. Once, in a Mother's Day card, I told Mom that she was "the fixed star in my sky." To me, she was like that bright, unmoving light that sailors without instruments use to guide them through the open sea at night.
All my life I've known that I could overcome any difficulty-so long as I could just hear Mom's voice for a few minutes. I knew that her love and her wisdom would always show me the way to go. Should I now say how lost I feel because that brilliant light has gone dark, because that sweet voice has gone silent?
Once, when I was a child, my father told me that some of those lights in the sky actually come from stars that fizzled out centuries ago. But since they are so far away from the earth, their light is just now reaching us. That's a pretty big idea for an eight-year-old head, but I've never forgotten it. I've never forgotten that my path at night is sometimes lit by long dead stars.
In loving and being loved by Nancy Marshall, she imparted to each of us some of her peculiar grace. She shared a piece of her soul with so many people, so many people who remember and will never forget her spirit and the example of her life. By her words and actions, by the way she lived and the way she died, Mom has inspired us to push aside pain and shrug off defeat, to brush away self-doubt and self-pity, and then strive for our greatest potential and our fullest happiness. So long as we remember what she taught us and showed us, so long as we remain loyal to the best within ourselves, that little shard of Mom's incomparable soul will continue to warm us on cold nights and light our way in dark places.
I can't speak for everyone here. But whenever I listen to my heart, it speaks with my mother's voice. In our memories of the past we shared with her, in our hopes for the future she encouraged us to realize, in our passion for each irreplaceable moment of life, Nancy Marshall lives.
J. Patrick Mullins
September 6, 2006
Mid-September Comes:
An Elegy for Nancy
The throbbing orb that once endowed
A living heat to tree and flesh
Is now weighed down by leaded clouds
And cannot even save herself.
Dandelioned meadows green
And with wild-onion vapor rank
Were browning in the autumn sun
Which in the gloaming twilight sank.
The fuzzy soft of ripened fruit-
Now mottled gray and chilled by frost-
That summer's peach once stocked with juice
Grows dry and, withering, turns to dust.
And then with final plaintive sigh,
The brown leaves drained of all their green
Drift down in rustling sheets to die-
Their mother tree drawn gaunt and lean.
Summer-smiling faintly-fainting,
Now slumbers as the nights turn colder.
Anew her deadened womb is stirring
And distant spring will promise yet
The hope of life is never over-
The sun is not forever set.
J. Patrick Mullins
Written September 17, 2006 (2 am)
Lake Murray, SC
Read September 18, 2006 (12:45 pm)
Nancy Marshall's graveside service
Elmwood Cemetery, Columbia, SC
_________________________________________
!Nancy and Donald were married in Rutledge Chapel on the campus of the
University of South Carolina. Dr. Brubaker, a retired professor of religion
was the officiating minister.
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Email Message From Donald
Date: Thursday, May 22, 2003 3:14 PM
To: David Marshall
Subject: Nancy's Diagnoisis
This morning we got the very worst diagnosis of Nancy's condition. The biopsy came back positive. The worst part of it is, that it is probably inoperable. We don't know this for sure yet, but her doctor is a wonderful physician, and he would not indicate it if he was not pretty sure.
The scans and x-rays show five spots, Two on her lung ( right), the smaller of which is wrapped around the pulmonary artery and, and one in the bronchial area and a cyst on her kidney and lesion on her liver , as I understand it. She has an appointment Tuesday with the oncologist to determine if it has spread to the lymph system, and if surgery, or Chemotherapy is the way to go.Nancy's doctor thinks chemotherapy is appropriate.
They did five needle biopsies on the largest mass( 6 centimeters), Tuesday and they came back malignant. Her physician says it came very sudden, as he saw no evidence three weeks prior to this.
Nancy is taking this better than I am. She is positive about it, but I know she must be. We will keep everyone posted as to her future condition. Nancy and I send our love to all.
Donald
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