On Monday, December 6th, 2021, Nancy Lou Purcell, of Brevard NC, passed away peacefully.
Nancy was born on November 26, 1934, to Russell and Helen (Wichrowski) Button. She grew up in Reading, Pennsylvania and graduated from Reading Senior High School.
After graduation, Nancy joined the US Navy and worked in Naval Intelligence. Later she married her first husband, Jack Crimmins, and became an Army wife. She worked for many years in marketing and retail sales. Nancy subsequently married Grant Purcell and with him started the Charleston Center for Relapse Prevention in Charleston, SC.
Following in the footsteps of her idol, Georgia O'Keeffe, fairly late in life Nancy began writing short stories and poems. Many of her stories were published in well-known literary journals. She honed her writing skills when she was accepted to the Iowa Writers' Institute Summer Program. She also served as Prose Judge at Carl Sandburg Home Writer in Residence Program, taught writing classes at Brevard College, and led a writer’s group for many years. Nancy loved to laugh and entertain friends and family with stories of her life and experiences.
Nancy was preceded in death by her mother Helen, her father Russell, her daughter Cathy, and her loving husband Grant. She is survived by her sons Jack Crimmins (Sue) and Mark Crimmins, her granddaughter Heather Allen (Sean) and their three children, her stepchildren, David Purcell (Steve McDaniel), Greg Purcell, and Leslie Gregg (Dan), and her step-grandchildren Ali, Hank, and Carter Gregg.
A memorial service will be held at 11 AM Saturday, February 12, 2022 in the Moody-Connolly Funeral Home Chapel. To livestream her service please go to https://foveo.stream/moody-connolly/nancy-lou-purcell
In lieu of flowers, donations in Nancy's name may be made to the charity of your choice.