Nancy Lee Wood Stiles

Mrs. Nancy Lee Wood Stiles, age 79 of Gainesville, passed away on Wednesday, July 29, 2020 following an extended illness.

Memorial services are scheduled for Sunday, August 2, 2020 at 3:00 pm in the Chapel of Memorial Park Funeral Home.  Pastor Dave Channell and Pastor Sam Parsons will officiate. The family will receive friends on Sunday, August 2, 2020 from 1 – 3 pm at the funeral home, prior to the service.

Mrs. Stiles was born October 17, 1940 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to the late William Dillard Wood and Rennah Lee Wood.  She was a homemaker and a member of Christ Place.  Nancy was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, James Parks Stiles, Jr. and her two sisters, Jackie Cureton and Gail Irvin.

Mrs. Stiles is survived by her daughters & sons-in-law, Susan & Barry Shields and Sandra & Joe Collier, all of Gainesville, her grandchildren, Katie & Michael Richard, Rebecca Shields, Jessica Collier and Benjamin Shields, her great-grandson, Gibson Richard, her brother-in-law, Tinsley Irvin of Atlanta and a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives.

In the early years of Nancy’s life she lived on a farm in the small community of Youth outside of Loganville, GA. Her days were full of farm chores and feeding and watering the animals. She always looked up to her oldest sister Jackie, while her middle sister Gail was a constant companion. Nancy showed her compassion for others early by teaching her best friend Caroline, a farm laborers daughter, to read. Events such as these provided the source for many cherished tales and stories that have brought warmth and laughter to the family across the generations. Her father’s job necessitated that the family began moving often as he helped supervised the construction of the new water treatment facilities all across the south. Nancy claimed 9 different schools in her education experience. Her gift of making friends wherever she went helped ease the pain of leaving friends behind as her father’s projects wrapped up and they moved to a new town. It was during this time, around age of 11 that Nancy wanted glasses as they were becoming stylish and cool, to the point of faking eye trouble. She ended up with a pair of green “cat eye” glasses. it was during this time that she met a special young man named Jimmy Stiles in Lafayette, GA., for about a year before her family moved again. This friendship would prove fateful in the years to come. a few years later Nancy was back in Lafayette, where she was an involved and popular high school senior that graduated as Valedictorian of the class of 1957, in that special year, the relationship with Jimmy was rekindled and it flourished as they were inseparable, to the point of Nancy riding in Jimmy’s drag car as extra weight at the track in Brainerd, TN.

While Nancy studied nursing at Emory, Jimmy would spend as much free time as possible hitch hiking from UGA to see her in Atlanta. Shortly thereafter Nancy found herself a newlywed living in Chattanooga married to the one true love of her life. Children followed soon with Susan and Sandra completing the family in 1960 and 1963. In addition to being a wonderful and dedicated mother she realized her passions and gifts of working with life children in preschool land caring for others as an LPN. After several years of teaching kindergarten she then pursued her lifelong dream of acquiring her LPN license while her daughters were in high school. She spent close to 10 years working at the LaFayette Medical Center caring for others, one of her strongest traits. Nancy’s life was blessed as she became a “Nana” in 1991 and again in 1992. Fall of 1993 found her relocating to Gainesville, GA to be near her children and grandchildren. It was during this time that Nancy found herself dedicating her life to caring for Jim during his extended illness. She modeled an exemplary spirit of “in sickness and in health”, as well as being the hands and feet of Jesus over the next decade. Two additional grandchildren born during this time were warmly welcomed. Great memories and traditions were established during this time as she was blessed to see Jim well enough to discover a new found love, that being camping. Many special memories were made with family as well as just the two of them. Jims passing in 2002 left Nancy without her best friend and love in life.

The years to come proved to be a mix of good days, hard days and bad days. Nancy leaned on her faith and overcame many obstacles and trials without losing sight of her Lord. Her own declining health necessitated her spending her remaining years in an assisted living, where she still made new friends and showered her neighbors as well as caregivers with love and compassion. To the end her special sense of humor remained intact, and she continued to be a warm ray of light to all she encountered.

A special word of love and tanks for the caregivers at Aston Senior Living, with extra special word of praise for Laura who loved Nancy with her whole heart, and provided great care. The family and friends will always remember Nancy’s love, smile and warmth.

Memorial Park Funeral Home, 2030 Memorial Park Road, Gainesville, GA  30504 is in charge of arrangements.

Send online condolences to www.memorialparkfuneralhomes.com.