Nancy Ann Whitehead was born on the third day of February in the year 1943. Her mother, Vee Edna Thompson, and her father, Joe Douglass Beaty, lived in Prescott, Arkansas. As a daughter, sister, mother, aunt, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Nancy reigns supreme. For 81 years, the matriarch of our family, has led an extraordinary life. She was a Christian, chef, dietitian, gardener, teacher, comedian, therapist—the list goes on and on. She’s my hero, steadfast in facing trials and humble in her triumphs.
Nancy was the first-born child in her loving family, though her father was away serving in the army at the time of her birth. At just six weeks old, her mother boarded a train with her newborn baby girl, traveling from Prescott, Arkansas, to Portland, Oregon, to see her father before he shipped out. It is hard to imagine a young mother traveling that far alone with her very first baby. Nancy was also the first grandchild on both her maternal and paternal sides of the family. She was beautiful, happy, and incredibly intelligent. Nancy has three younger brothers: Michael, six years younger; Gary, thirteen years younger; and Mack, sixteen years younger.
At just sixteen years old, Nancy met and fell in love with William Sheryll Whitehead. The two were wed in a church, and Nancy Ann was the most beautiful bride.
William started his own successful business, W.W. Tile, and Nancy was home with their four children: Cheryl Lynn Whitehead, Julie Ann Whitehead, William Joseph Whitehead, and Lisa Michelle Whitehead. As a mother, Nancy was young, fun, and fearless. Countless hours of bottles, diapers, and rocking chairs brought her joy and purpose. Nancy took perfect care of her babies—something she passed on to all the women in our family. She was no pushover, though; a young mother of four has to keep control. One of my favorite tactics Nancy used when the kids were acting up was to tell them a big black dog was coming to take her away. Most people would say the dog was coming for the kids, but she knew they would be even more afraid thinking it was going to eat up their mamma! There was no such dog, of course. Another winner was yelling “off and on” in the mornings before school. That meant “off your bed and on your feet.”
Once all her kids reached school age, Nancy went to work selling Tupperware products. She hosted parties and quickly worked her way up in sales, excited to reach her sales goal, which came with a free car! Her husband told her that no one actually sells enough Tupperware to get a free car; it was just never going to happen. So, about a year later, when she was handed the keys to a new Ford station wagon, she came down the entire driveway with her hand laid on the horn. Nancy believed in doing the best work she could, no matter the job. When Tupperware started to fade out, she decided to take a job at St. Michael’s Hospital in February of 1977. She was hired in the kitchen as a specialty cook, where her skill, personality, and work ethic quickly shone through. In no time, she was promoted to the supervisor of the tray line, then again to assistant director, when she began taking classes at the vocational school for nutritional dietary management. She worked at the hospital for about thirteen years, ultimately running the entire food service operation—overseeing all daily trays sent to patients, cafeteria service, events, etc. She served 245 patients three meals a day, each tailored to their specific health needs. Notable career accomplishments include being sent to California for her acceptance into the National Society for Food Service Administrators and having Governor Bill Clinton compliment her food.
Nancy had two lumbar surgeries for ruptured discs—one in ’81 and another in ’95. This forced her to retire on disability before she was ready to leave the career she loved. Over the years, she prevailed over many health problems including a massive stroke and cranial bypass surgery, throat cancer and radiation, and hip surgery. She never let anything scare her, instead faced challenges head on with an unwavering strength and a positive attitude.
After retirement Nancy had more time to devote to her hobbies, such as cooking, gardening, movies, shopping, and, most of all, her family! After tragically losing her mother in 1988, Nancy became like a grandparent to her brothers Michael and Gary’s children, as well as the primary caregiver to her youngest brother, Mack, who was disabled.
She was the best Aunt Nancy and Meme on the planet. She made up unique songs that she would sing to each of us and overall just spoiled us rotten. She taught us to swim, helped us learn to drive, got us off the hook when we were in trouble with our parents, let us stay the night whenever we wanted, and cooked us amazing food. As southerners, food is our love language. My most cherished memories are of being in the kitchen with Meme—making homemade salsa and jelly and canning it, waiting for the lids to pop when the jars sealed, making homemade bread, and really just learning how to cook from the heart.
Nancy was truly one of a kind. To know her was to love her. Growing up, anytime I heard someone speak of Nancy Whitehead, they would light up with joyful stories or recall a time when she helped them through something difficult—how she always gave of herself to others with humility, generosity, and love. I never heard anyone say an ugly word about my Meme. It’s a good thing too, because that would not fly! She was matter of fact with a dry, witty sense of humor, who didn’t suffer fools. She knew who she was inside and out and never let what was happening around her be the source of her mood. This is a woman who has left a legacy. All of her children, nieces and nephews, eight grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren will carry on her spirit and love, sharing with others as she did. As different as we all may be, we each have a very special kind of love for our Nancy Ann.
Few fun facts:
● She saw Elvis in concert.
● She was struck by lightning when she was pregnant.
● She got her ears pierced on a whim when she turned 50.
● She made all our favorite cakes for our birthdays.
● She loved Daniel O’Donnell and the annual trip to Branson with her daughters to see him.
● She loved movies, especially Harrison Ford, and made sure she watched all the Academy Award winners for Best Picture since they began in 1927.
Funeral services will be held on Monday, December 2nd in the chapel of Texarkana Funeral Home, Arkansas at 10:00 AM with Michael Beaty and Rev. Orville Farron officiating.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, December 1st, from 4:00-6:00 PM in the chapel of Texarkana Funeral Home, Arkansas.
Donations may be made to Hospice of Texarkana or the St. Jude’s Research Center located at 1501 Kings Hwy, Shreveport, LA 71103
