Nancy Dillard Travis

TRAVIS, Nancy D. – passed away on Saturday, the 30th of June 2012, at the age of 88, under the excellent care and support services of Homewood Residence at Brookmont Terrace in Nashville. Nancy was born in Taylors, South Carolina on the 14th of March 1924 to Ben Perry Dillard and Eula James Dillard. Nancy attended Winthorp College in Rock Hill, SC, and graduated from Vanderbilt School of Nursing on the 2nd of January 1947. Her forte was in public health nursing; and eventually she assumed the position of Executive Director of the Florence Crittenden Home; became the Director of Nurses education at Baptist Hospital; and was the Occupational Health Nurse at the Methodist Publishing House. After retirement, she became a member of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Auxiliary. Nancy was always a great supporter of Vanderbilt School of Nursing and the Children's Hospital. She was active in volunteer work, and one of her joys was being a "clown" at the children's hospital for many years bringing smiles and laughter to the children there. With all the accolades and experiences of her career, the greatest reward that came from her volunteer work was the opportunity to fulfill the last wish of one of the women she helped care for in hospice, Mrs. Abeba Yosef. The wish she granted was the gift of choosing to love and care for Abeba’s child and to help her become the beautifully talented and educated woman she is today. Nancy's actions all throughout life echoed her heart's passion - to give of herself to others. She is preceded in death by her husband of 40 years, Hilliard Travis; her parents, Ben Perry Dillard, Sr. and Eula James Dillard; her brothers, Ben Perry (Ruby) Dillard, Jr., Clarence Lee (Hazel) Dillard; and surrogate daughter, Abeba Yosef. Nancy is survived and blessed by her life's gift of love, chosen granddaughter, Mayeti Gametchu, of Boston, MA.; and two great granddaughters, Abeba Grace Gametchu-Walker and Alice Yosef Gametchu-Walker; several nieces and nephews; extended family, Paul and Ann Moran; Colleen-Conway Welch; special friends, Carolyn and Mike Deberry, Christy Passmore, Cherie Parker and Jack Keller, Jean Koelz, Ellen Smogur, Wendy O'Neal, Glenn and Gladys Roberts, and Steve and Pat Robert and family. Special thanks to Homewood, especially the Clare Bridge personnel, and to her sitters, Sherry Johnson and Sharon King. A Celebration of Life service will be conducted at eleven thirty, the morning of Tuesday, July 3, 2012 at Woodlawn's Dignity Hall with Rev. Cherie Parker officiating. Friends are cordially invited to a visitation to honor Nancy's life and legacy two hours prior to the service at Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home. Immediately following the entombment service, friends are invited to attend a reception in the Dogwood Parlor. In lieu of customary remembrances, memorials may be made to: The Hilliard and Nancy Travis Scholarship Fund at Vanderbilt School of Nursing, 200C Godchaux Hall, Nashville, TN 37240, Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, 2424 Garland Avenue, Nashville, TN 37212, or to the church of her membership, Bellevue United Methodist Church Building Fund, 7501 Old Harding Road, Nashville, TN 37221. Arrangements by: Woodlawn-Roesch-Patton Funeral Home, 660 Thompson Lane, Nashville, TN 37204. (615)-383-4754. www.woodlawn-roesch-pattonfh.com