After an extended illness, Nancy F. McManus, 79, died peacefully Friday morning in Huntsville, AL. She was preceded in death by her parents, Broadus and Leila Fincher, and her sister, Mildred F. McConnell Harris. She is survived by her husband of 59 years, Dr. Samuel “Sam” P. McManus of Huntsville and Brevard, NC; sons, Robert Adair (Kelly) of Huntsville, and Samuel Plyler, Jr. (Penny) of Scottsboro, AL; and niece, Leisa M. Fowler (Randy) and related family members.
Nancy graduated with highest honors from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) in 1972 and was named the AAUW Outstanding Woman Graduate. She was co-owner of The Collector’s Gallery prior to earning a MS in clinical psychology from Alabama A&M University. She then directed an outpatient A&D recovery program at The Family Life Center in Huntsville. Nancy was known for her infectious smile, great personality and an extraordinary ability to listen, which combined to make her a valued friend and counselor. During retirement she volunteered for several organizations and especially enjoyed serving Meals on Wheels. She looked forward to those visits and often lingered to talk. Nancy came out of retirement to become Director of Alumni Relations at UAH for a five-year period before continuing retirement in Sanibel FL and then Brevard NC, while still maintaining a home in Huntsville.
Nancy and her family enjoyed many years of boating on Lake Guntersville and, with Sam made many boating excursions. She started quilting during her retirement years giving most of her beautiful quilts to family, friends or to those suffering from terminal diseases. She spent many enjoyable days with friends in her Brevard, NC quilting groups and especially suffered during the last two years when she was unable to climb the stairs to her quilting room and enjoy the day creating a quilt. She also enjoyed travel with Sam and friends during her working years and, especially, during retirement. Her favorite place to spend a few days was Charleston SC where she enjoyed many good memories. Nancy was a deacon in the First Presbyterian Church in Huntsville and was Chairman of the Board of Deacons at the Brevard-Davidson Presbyterian Church in Brevard, where she and Sam were married in 1959.
The family will welcome friends at a visitation from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, November 20, 2018 at Laughlin Service Funeral Home on Bob Wallace Avenue in Huntsville. A celebration of life will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 27 at the Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church in Brevard, NC followed by a reception in the Fellowship Hall.
The family is grateful for excellent care by many health care professionals in the Brevard and Huntsville areas. In lieu of flowers, donations for research on pancreatic cancer are requested in Nancy’s name for the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology (https://hudsonalpha.org/foundation/).
