Nancy Martin Graham

Nancy Martin Graham died December 3, 2015 at her home in Charlottesville, Va. She was born October 18, 1921 and grew up in NYC and Glen Cove. In 1939 she rode as a model for Captain Vladimir S. Littauer’s book, “Be a Better Horseman.” In 1941 Nancy married John Winston Graham, an Army Air Corps pilot, in Puerto Rico. He died in a training flight three months later. Fulfilling a promise to him, she enrolled at the Embry Riddle School of Aviation in Miami. She earned her commercial and flight instructor ratings in November 1942 and was hired to train WWII pilots. In the 1960’s she added commercial glider and helicopter ratings, becoming Whirly Girl #62 of the Women’s Helicopter Pilots Association. She owned two Cessna airplanes and kept her CFI with instrument rating current most of her life. She wrote articles for aviation magazines, various periodicals and published a short story in The New Yorker. In 1980 at the age of 59 she graduated from Georgetown University and in 1981 earned her MS in the School of Languages in Arabic because she said it was the only under enrolled course with space. Later she enrolled in Arabic classes at UVA and Middlebury College Vt. Nancy was a voracious reader and collector of Italian, Spanish and German literature. She donated her collection of rare aviation books to the Beinecke Library at Yale and other institutions in her late husband’s memory. She traveled widely to exotic destinations. She was an animal lover. She played tennis into her 93rd year. Nancy gave her time and support to many charitable causes. She was devoted and generous to her friends and family. She is survived by nieces Joan S. Redmond, Nancy Redmond, nephew John Redmond, his wife Jane and great nieces Lily and Olivia Redmond. Donations in her memory may be made to Hospice of the Piedmont, 675 Peter Jefferson Parkway, Suite 300, Charlottesville, VA 22911. Condolences may be offered to the family at teaguefuneralhome.com