Emily Elizabeth Nardo

On the afternoon of November 4, 2015, Emily Ray Nardo (37), of Dallas, passed away at Houston's Memorial Hermann Vascular & Heart Institute due to complications from her lifelong battle with Ehlers-Danlos vascular syndrome (EDS). Her husband of 8 years, Andrew Nels Nardo, was by her side at the time of her passing.

Emily Elizabeth was born in Dallas on January 21, 1978. She was the oldest of four children. As a young child, Emily's favorite activities always involved the enjoyment of others. A special favorite was singing her heart out in her father's car or standing in a pot in the middle of the kitchen. At the age of 6, Emily was saved and baptized at the First Baptist Church in Paris, Texas. Emily graduated from Robert E Lee (Tyler) High School in 1996 and went on to earn her BBA in Marketing in 2000 from the McCombs School of Business at UT Austin.

Leading up to and after college, Emily pursued her passion for annual trips to the State Fair with her amazing sister, Rachael Ray. Shortly after meeting the love of her life, Emily married Andrew on May 3, 2008. They shared a passion for days at the pool, travel (especially Hawaii or Vegas), good restaurants, and a weekly movie night every Friday. Emily epitomized the definition of a "people person" and enjoyed any activity where she met new people, turned acquaintances into friends and friends into family.

Emily is survived by her husband, Andrew (Dallas), daughters, Elizabeth and Paige, grandparents, Leo and Dorothy Millard (Cooper), parents, Charles Richard Ray and Valencia Rumbelow Ray (Tyler), sister, Rachael Ann Ray (Dallas), brothers, James Richard Ray (Austin) and fiancée Samantha Anderson, and John Patrick Ray (Tyler), goddaughter, Ava Jade Amezcua (Munster, Indiana), special cousin, Abby Christian, dear family friend, Gloria Vega, and countless faithful childhood friends and dear friends developed more recently.

Emily was preceded in death by her mother Melinda Millard Ray and paternal grandparents, Jim and Chrystelle Ray.

The funeral service will be at Southern Oaks Baptist Church in Tyler on Sunday, November 8, at 1pm. She will be laid to rest in Cooper, Texas in Oak Lawn Cemetery immediately following the service.

A large memorial service will be held at Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas on Monday, November 9, at 10am. A reception to celebrate Emily's life will follow shortly after. Anyone who would like to show their support to the family, share memories, and convey condolences is encouraged to attend. Children are welcome.

The family has requested memories, stories, and photos be posted on her Facebook page for memorialization. Details regarding a memorial fund in her honor will be shared there in the very near future. https://www.facebook.com/emily.nardo

Flowers can be sent to the Lloyd James Funeral Home in Tyler or Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.