Heather Dawn Nations

Heather Dawn Nations, age 62, passed away on Monday, October 03, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas. Born on June 22, 1960, in Houston, Texas, to parents, Valerie (née Richards) and Harry Smith. Heather was a graduate of Northbrook High School and Houston Baptist University where she received her bachelor’s in accounting. She excelled academically in high school by reading required books for the upcoming schoolyear ahead of time and prided herself on her intellect in a time before computers were commonly available. After finishing school, she became a senior accountant for a publicly traded company called Geoseismic and would go on to work as a real estate accountant for Riddick Properties until her retirement.

Heather’s greatest interests in life were her family, literature, music and classic cinema. She developed an encyclopedic knowledge of world history, geography, movies and famous authors. Her favorite books were usually historical biographies of world figures and non-fiction. She was a devout fan of Elvis Presely’s works as a musician and actor but also enjoyed watching movie adaptions of classic literature, as well as comedies and historical dramas. She was fascinated by works of fiction that intertwined with world events that she could tie to real-life anecdotes from her family history or past.

Heather always maintained a special bond with animals and pets. When an animal would arrive “temporarily” until they could find it a loving home, more often than not they would end up staying permanently in the loving home she had made for them. She deeply loved the family’s two dogs, Casey and T.J., and two cats, Delilah and Toby. The pets kept their mom company when the home was empty and she treated them as full members of the family, spoiling them in her own unique way.

Although she was profoundly intelligent and devotely studious by nature, Heather’s true passion in life was motherhood. Day in and day out for many years, she would ready her children for school and encouraged their interests in art, athletics, music and other extracurricular activities. She would never miss a practice or game and wholeheartedly encouraged her kids’ career pursuits as they began to take shape before her eyes. Her children were by far her proudest accomplishments and they are reminded each and every day of her everlasting love for them.

Her marriage to the love of her life, Neal, lasted 30 wonderful years. They met in Houston in 1989 and together they cultivated a lifetime of irreplaceable memories. Neal devoutly cared for his wife throughout the duration of her illness and cherished every moment they spent together. They celebrated the anniversary of their marriage every May 25 and tirelessly supported each other in their every endeavor and aspiration.

Heather was preceded in death by her parents, Valerie and Harry Smith, and her mother-in-law, Charlotte Nations (née Kemper). Heather is survived by her daughter, Nicole Nations (Andrew Jacobson); son, Reece Nations; father-in-law, Swanzy Nations; sister, Carol Barrett; brother, Lance Smith (Ginnie); in addition to numerous cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. The Nations family will receive friends from 10:00 A.M. to 11:00 A.M., on Saturday, October 15th, at Porter Loring Mortuary and will host a private gathering at their home immediately upon the ceremony’s completion.

MEMORIAL SERVICESATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 202211:00 AMPORTER LORING CHAPEL

Pastor Michael Crocker will officiate. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, a charitable organization that supports and advocates for those affected by pancreatic cancer.