Nancy J. Hatley

She called me Hubs and I called her Lovie.

She was The Darling to my Heart.

When I first met Nancy, I was taken by her natural beauty. She had a sweet cherubic smile, pink cheeks, and an upturned Johnston nose. She had golden highlights in her eyes and a single dimple that I kissed a thousand times. And yes, it was Love at First Sight.

Nancy had dainty little hands and bought her gloves in the Boys Department. Her fingers were swift and sure, and nobody could out-type her. Nancy had a very strong work ethic.

We were very young when we met, she was 21 and I was 24 years old. We grew into adulthood together and Lived the American Dream. I am honored and privileged to have been Nancy’s Husband, and proud to have had her as my gentle wife.

The Hatley family instantly loved Nancy and my mother would often call her “My Nancy”. We traveled many thousands of miles together visiting Archaeological sites throughout the American Southwest. We laughed, we loved, and we lived. Inevitably we grew old together and we became even closer. Every morning Nancy would rest her head on my shoulder and get a big hug from her ‘Hubs’.

Rest in Peace Darling, Rest in Peace.

M. Jay Hatley

06/03/23

Meeting

Melvin Jay Hatley and Nancy Louise Johnston met in the fall of 1972. Nancy was a college student at San Diego State University and M. Jay was a sailor with the U.S. Navy. Nancy was told by a neighbor that Jay was coming home from his last tour before getting out of the Navy. She was told that he didn’t look like any sailor she had ever seen before, so she carefully parted the curtains in her apartment to look. Jay was walking up the sidewalk toward the neighbor’s apartment and Nancy thought to herself that he looked like ‘home.’ She liked everything she saw – everything – the way he walked, the way he looked, the clothes he was wearing, his confidence. Was that love at first sight?

Soon after, they ‘officially’ met and went to an Indian auction together, along the neighbors. Jay helped Nancy bid on a naja necklace and then kept her warm with a rug bought at the auction. Jay wanted to go on a date, so they walked hand-in-hand to a neighborhood theater and saw “The Poseidon Adventure.” One day Jay said he “was getting a great affection” for Nancy, and she thought to herself, “I already know that.”

In 1975, Jay suggested that he and Nancy should be married, and she agreed. On November 21, 1975, Melvin Jay Hatley and Nancy Louise Johnston were married at the United Methodist Church in Lemon Grove, California, and she happily became Nancy Johnston Hatley.

After almost 47 years, they still love each other – a lot. Jay takes care of Nancy, and Nancy takes care of Jay.

June 24, 2022

NANCY'S CELEBRATION

JUNE 03, 2023

TODAY WE CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF NANCY HATLEY WITH LOVE, LOSS, TEARS AND SMILES.

WE HAVE BEEN SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE NANCY AS OUR WONDERFUL SISTER-IN-LAW FOR ALMOST FIFTY YEARS! I CALL NANCY MY SISTER, AS SHE WAS REALLY MORE LIKE A LITTLE SISTER TO ME.

JAY, HARVEY DANIEL, BOB AND I WERE BLESSED TO HAVE HER IN OUR FAMILY. NANCY ALSO GAVE US OUR WONDERFUL EXTENDED FAMILY WITH HER MOM AND DAD, ANITA AND DOUG AND THEIR WONDERFUL CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN. OUR PARENTS, HARVEY, AND JUNE HATLEY LOVED NANCY AS A DAUGHTER.

THEY WERE VERY CLOSE FRIENDS WITH NANCY'S MOM, PEARL DON AND DAD, CHARLES AS WELL AS ANITA, DOUG AND FAMILY. THEY WERE VERY HAPPY THAT JAY CHOSE NANCY AS HIS LIFELONG LOVE.

OUR FAMILY WILL ALWAYS BE THANKFUL FOR HER GIFT OF GENEALOGY AND LOVE OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS! NANCY CREATED A FAMILY TREE HISTORY FOR BOTH SIDES OF OUR FAMILY. SHE SPENT MANY HOURS RESEARCHING IMPORTANT AND

INTERESTING INFORMATION AND PROVIDING US WITH OUR HISTORY. NOW, WITH THE LOSS OF NANCY WE ARE MISSING A HUGE, IMPORTANT BRANCH OF OUR FAMILY TREE!

WE WILL FONDLY REMEMBER ALL OUR FAMILY TIMES TOGETHER ON THE RIVER IN YUMA. WE WILL ESPECIALLY REMEMBER OUR "BIRTHDAYS IN THE DESERT" WHERE WE SPENT MANY DAYS CAMPING IN CHACO CANYON, NEW MEXICO. WE CELEBRATED EACH ONE OF OUR BIRTHDAYS WITH CAKE, CHAMPAGNE, AND GIFTS! WE CLIMBED, HIKED, EXPLORED KIVAS. AND LISTENED TO INDIAN DRUMS AT NIGHT UNDER A BEAUTIFUL MOON.

WE WILL ALSO REMEMBER DURANGO, MESA VERDE AND LLAMA TREKKING IN DOVE CREEK, COLORADO AT HARVEY DANIELS RANCH. WE WILL REMEMBER DRINKING CHAMPAGNE WE PACKED IN ON A LARGE ROCK OVERLOOKING OF THE CHISOM TRAIL AND MONUMENT VALLEY.

WE ALSO SPENT MANY FAMILY HOURS WITH OUR EXTENDED FAMILY, DOUG AND ANITA EXPLORING THE DESERT, ALBUQUERQUE, SANTA FE, AND THE RING OF FIRE SOLAR ECLIPSE. WE HAD GREAT ADVENTURES AND WILL ALWAYS TREASURE OUR TIMES TOGETHER

WE WILL MISS THOSE MEMORABLE ADVENTURES WTH NANCY... PERSONALLY I WILL MISS OUR MUTUAL LOVE OF EARRINGS, HOME IMPROVEMENT AND DECORATING IDEAS WE SHARED. I WILL MISS MY DAILY TEXTING BUDDY. MOSTLY, I WILL REALLY, REALLY MISS NANCY'S INFECTIOUS GIRLISH GIGGLE AND LAUGHTER THAT STILL COMES TO ME. I KNOW I WILL NEVER EVER STOP HEARING IT IN MY HEART...

MOSTLY, WE WILL BE GRATEFUL FOR THE POWERFUL LOVE NANCY HAD FORJAY. IT'S A WONDERFUL THING WHEN TWO PEOPLE LOVE EACH OTHER AS DEEPLY AS THEY DO. JAY ONCE TOLD ME THE SECRET IS "NEVER GOING TO BED MAD" ...... THEY WERE AN ENVIABLE SUCCESS WITH THEIR LOVE STORY JAY SAID HE FELL IN LOVE WITH HER THE MOMENT HE FIRST LAID EYES ON HER! NANCY SAID SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH JAY THE FIRST TIME SHE SAW HIM AS WELL. TWO PEOPLE IN LOVE, IN A LIFETIME OF DEEP ABIDING DEVOTION. HOW PERFECT!

OUR HEARTS BREAK FORJAY. HOWEVER, WE KNOW THAT JAY AND NANCY WILL BE TOGETHER AGAIN.

NANCY WOULD WANT ALL OF US TO REMEMBER HER WITH JOY AS SHE SMILES DOWN UPON US TODAY.

SHE WOULD WANT US TO LIVE OUR LIVES TO THE FULLEST, BE HAPPY AND BE KIND TO EACH OTHER.

SHE WAS A FINE EXAMPLE OF CARING AND GENTLENESS. WE ARE GRATEFUL SHE IS NO LONGER IN PAIN OR FEARFUL. WE WILL MISS HER GREATLY, BUT WE WILL SEE HER AGAIN.

OF THIS I AM SURE!

Gail Segars

My Nancy

Originally, we had the same middle name, Louise. Mom & Dad liked the name but not enough. When she married Mr. Jay she changed her middle name to Johnston, our maiden name…Nancy Johnston Hatley.

She was 1 ½ years older than I am, which I reminded her of often. And, that she got to take care of me. But, no, Doug got to do that.

Growing up I was a bit of a pain, still am! I always liked to put my feet up. I sat across from her at meals and would put my feet up on her lap. I don’t know why, but that bothered her, until she tied my feet to my chair.

Nancy often sewed her own clothes. Until I got taller, I would borrow her clothes. Then, later she would want to wear her clothes. Imagine that?? She couldn’t find them. I would dump her clothes into the dirty clothes hamper. Old habits, I still don’t like hanging up clothes. But Caleb organized my clothes recently. Nancy would be proud!

Nancy was so smart: science student of the year in high school. She received the big book of elements, made for a great door stop. On Sundays, Nancy would watch NASCAR. I would watch the Warriors or maybe golf. I learned a lot about drivers, changes to pit crew rules (changing tires in 30 seconds!), courses… But the best was the word “chicane”, on a course, the serpentine curve, added by design rather than dictated by geography.

A few years ago, Nancy took Doug and I, Jay’s brother and sister and Gail’s husband, to Albuquerque for a long weekend. She paid for everything: flight, hotel, food, all. She wanted to do something with a gift she was given which she would remember.

I think of her, and because of her I always take water on a hike. While in Chaco Canyon, with Nancy & Jay, I climbed a mesa, without water or phone. And, later promised Nancy I would never hike without water.

We smiled at Nancy at “NEVER NOT PREPARED”. I asked her how many coolers she had – 13!

Over the last year and half, with her white blood cell count being low during chemo, I did not see her, but called her every day over the last few months. Who else could I bug so much??

In April, we spent a week with Nancy at the hospital, where I got hooked on “Below Deck”. We watched for many hours and talked and sometimes sat together in silence. The sound didn’t even have to be on to know what was going on.

Nancy loved her family: me, Doug, Jon, Caleb; she loved the time Jon dug up her cactus garden! She loved Jon’s wife Kaytrin, Nancy and Jay’s niece and nephew, Pearl, and Charlie. She loved hearing about our family, extended family, and friends. She seemed so surprised by all the prayers and love. Having Nancy as a sister helped so much when we moved. We had each other.

Knowing Nancy my whole life, I feel like loose pebbles without a container...

Nancy, I will call you from my heart!

Anita Neeper - Charlie Neeper (6), knowing I needed help, held my hand.

June/3/2023

Nancy Johnston Hatley, age 72, of Barstow, California passed to Heaven on Thursday, April 27, 2023, after a long fight with cancer. Nancy was born in Green River, Wyoming on April 22, 1951 to Charles and Pearl Don Johnston. Nancy and her husband Jay married November 21, 1975 in San Diego, California, moving to Barstow, California in 1983. The were involved with Archaeology interest and that contributed to their love of the desert.

Nancy had her own professional typing business, which included typing manuscripts and books for local authors. Then she went to work for Miers and Miers,CPA for over 25 years as the executive assistant to the senior partner and she retired in 2012.

Her father was a mining engineer so she moved often growing up, living in Wyoming, Michigan, New Mexico, California and overseas in Spain with her parents and sister. She graduated in 1969 from Homestead High School in Sunnyvale, California and graduated from San Diego State University in 1972.

She and Jay were long time members of the San Diego County Archaeology society. She was a member of the Silver Valley gun club and competed against seasoned rifleman winning numerous competitions. Nancy was also a skilled archer. She loved genealogy, exploring the desert, geocaching, reading and watching Nascar races.

Most of all she loved Jay, her family and friends and lately a sweet kitty named "Denise the Menace" who showed up out of the blue.

Nancy is survived by her husband, M. Jay Hatley; her sister Anita Neeper and her brother in law Doug Neeper of Atascadero, California; her nephew Caleb Neeper of Walnut Creek, California, her nephew Jon Neeper, Jon's wife Kaytrin Neeper and their children grand niece Pearl Neeper and grand nephew Charles Neeper of Merced, California. Sister in law N. Gail Segars and husband Robert of Inverness, Florida and brother in law Harvey Daniel Hatley of Dove Creek, Colorado.

A celebration of life for Nancy will be held Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 11:00 AM at Mead Mortuary, 36930 Irwin Rd, Barstow, California 92311, followed by a reception at 12:30 PM at Mead mortuary.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.meadcares.com for the Hatley family.