Nancy Emma Butts Armistead died peacefully at home on July 27, at age 90 in Decatur, Alabama with family at her side. Her husband of 67 years, William Cobbs Armistead Jr., preceded her in death by two weeks.
She was a 1949 graduate of Vanderbilt School of Nursing (Sigma Theta Tau) after attending Antioch College and Stanford University. Her long career included public health nursing in Nashville, director of nursing at Decatur General Hospital and senior staff at The Lurleen B. Wallace Developmental Center community services.
All remember her as benevolent and passionate. She was a champion of those less fortunate in life as well as a proponent of liberal causes. Nancy was an Iowa State debate champion, a skill that served her well professionally as well as during lively dinner conversations. Her interest in current events and desire to make the world a better place never wavered even in her final days. She was a longtime member of Westminster Presbyterian Church and worked tirelessly as a volunteer for both the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center and the Committee on Church Cooperation.
Her love for life was expressed by her veracious reading and enjoyment of the outdoors – water skiing, snow skiing, and swimming. Her many travels were highlighted by a trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon as well as horseback riding on the beaches of Ireland. Though Nancy was a seasoned traveler, some of her favorite memories were made at the cabin on Smith Lake where she hosted countless friends and family. Amidst her active lifestyle, Nancy was also known for her baking. Family favorites included her coconut cakes, soft ginger cookies, and the best cinnamon rolls ever.
She is survived by her sisters, Mary Kiel (Bill), of Alexandria, Virginia, and Sally Davis (Bill), of Cedar Falls, Iowa, and her four children, H. Ellis Armistead, of Denver, Colorado, Ellen Rutledge (Joe), of Seattle, Washington, David Armistead (Jane), of Decatur, Georgia, and Steve Armistead (Diane), of Nashville, Tennessee. She is also survived by five grandchildren, Jack Rutledge (Adair), of Seattle, Washington, Rosemary Rutledge, of New York, New York, Melanie Lorick (Cliff), of Atlanta, Georgia, Duncan McDaniel (Lauren) and Spencer McDaniel (Jessica), of Nashville, Tennessee, as well as her extended family from Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Again, our family acknowledges and sincerely thanks the Riverside Retirement community in Decatur, Alabama, Home Instead, and Gentiva Hospice.
A joint memorial service for Nancy Emma Butts Armistead and William Cobbs Armistead Jr, will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Decatur, Alabama, on Aug. 5, 2016, at 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Decatur’s Committee on Church Cooperation, 119 1st Ave. NE, Decatur, AL 35601.
Nancy and Bill Armistead loved their family and community deeply, and they will both be sorely missed.
