Nancy Smith Scarborough

Nancy was born in Richmond, Virginia on September 17, 1942, the oldest daughter of H. Wylie and Stella Smith. Her sister, Diane, arrived seven years later. From an early age Nancy learned how to find and seize unique opportunities. During high school she auditioned for a weekly radio show known as “Teens, Tunes, and Topics,” which featured a “Name That Tune” style quiz in which the lowest scoring person of the two boys and two girls on the program was eliminated. She never once lost, while an endless string of other teens came and went. In her senior year, she left that show in order to devote more time to her role as Managing Editor of the student newspaper at Douglas Freeman High School.

Nancy continued to pursue her interest in writing at the University of Richmond, majoring in English and Journalism. On June 20, 1964, just a few weeks after graduating, she wed Charles Scarborough, also of Richmond, beginning a marriage that spanned 21 years. Nancy quickly landed a job as a reporter for the Richmond Times Dispatch, and in just six months was promoted to Fashion Editor. In her short time in that role, she wrote features on many interesting people, including Miss Universe 1965 and a pianist who regularly played for Thomas Edison. But like many women of that era, Nancy put her own career on hold to support her husband and his continued education, moving to College Park, Maryland in 1965.

In January 1967, Nancy became a mother, and in January 1971 she welcomed a second child into the world. She was fiercely protective of her sons, Charles and Michael, but also had very high expectations. Leading by example, she instilled a strong work ethic and a feisty independent streak in her children. And she sacrificed much to ensure that her boys always had the education, resources, and love needed to thrive.

Nancy found her true calling as a teacher. She obtained her master’s degree in Education in 1975 and began work that fall as a third grade teacher at John C. Wood Elementary School. Over the next 30 years, she touched the lives of countless students, spending the bulk of her career as a sixth grade teacher at Oak View Elementary School. At the same time, she continued her own education, obtaining a Ph.D. in Education from George Mason University in 1995. Her dissertation built upon her wealth of experience honing the best techniques to help elementary and middle school students better analyze and appreciate literature, and she later taught classes for reading specialists at George Mason’s Graduate School of Education. Although she officially “retired” in 2000, she returned almost immediately to the classroom as a long-term substitute and reading specialist. She was much beloved by both her students and fellow teachers.

Fairy tale romances sometimes come late in life, and Nancy eventually found hers with Dave Ryan. After many years of courtship, they were married on July 22, 2000 and have been inseparable ever since. Nancy and Dave loved to travel, and did so with gusto, enjoying trips together to Alaska, Russia, the Panama Canal, many Greek Islands, Croatia, Barcelona, Lisbon, Hawaii, and much of Italy. Nancy always loved the ocean, and in 2010 she and Dave purchased a beachfront condominium in Ocean City, Maryland. Their home at the Gateway Grand became an oasis of holiday fun for their children and grandchildren, providing a slew of indelible memories. Nancy and Dave embraced all that OC has to offer, and became especially involved with the wild horses of Assateague Island. Nancy won auctions for the right to name two horses – Moonshadow and Chief – and she closely followed the “soap opera” of their complicated family dramas and the never-ending battle to protect their habitat from encroaching tourists. Nancy was working on a collection of stories about the horses that her grandchildren hope to continue.

No remembrance and celebration of Nancy would be complete without some mention of cats. While T.S. Eliot famously lamented a life “measured out with coffee spoons,” Nancy proudly embraced her life “measured out in cats.” She loved her felines almost like children and instinctively understood their need for both independence and companionship. From 1969 forward, she always had at least one cat, sometimes several, and often they were orange: Daniel, a regal orange-and-white tabby who was the wildest of his litter; White Cat, a lovable stray that we started feeding one day and never stopped, or even properly named; Dexter. a pudgy bundle of long orange fur reminiscent of comic-strip Garfield; Clifton, a quirky and affectionate orange tabby; Jibby (in photo), a calico who was queen of the roost, nimbly managing her people with an iron paw; Clancy, Jibby’s shy orange companion and protector; and Paisley, a beautiful but easily-frightened stray, who lives on. Each of these wonderful cats played an important role in Nancy’s life, and she took some comfort in the end at the idea of soon being reunited with them.

Nancy is preceded in death by her parents, Wylie and Stella Smith, and her sister Diane. She is survived by her devoted husband, Dave Ryan; her sons, Charles and Michael; and her grandchildren, Charlie Jr., Peter, Phoebe, and Jackson. In lieu of flowers, donations in Nancy’s memory may be made to the Assateague Alliance Foundation, an organization devoted to preserving and protecting the wild horses of Assateague Island.

https://assateagueislandalliance.org/

Finally, we would like to thank the wonderful doctors, nurses, and other staff at Fairfax INOVA Hospital and the Capital Caring Adler Center in Aldie, Virginia who cared for Nancy. Your many acts of kindness provided enormous comfort and solace for Nancy and her family in our time of need.