Nancy Taylor

Nancy Taylor, 61, of Columbus, Georgia, entered her heavenly home on December 11, 2023. Nancy, originally of Abilene, Texas, was born to Walter Evans and the late Charlotte “Betty” Evans. Nancy was married to the love of her life, Lee Taylor, for 36 years.

Nancy graduated from Kubasaki High School and continued on to Auburn University and Troy University to obtain her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education. She became an elementary school teacher for Muscogee County School, Mathews Elementary, and remained there for 27 years. Nancy believed with all of her heart, she was called to serve Christ as a teacher in the mission field of the public school system. She spent the majority of her time teaching first grade at Midland Academy and Mathews Elementary. During her initial years at Midland Academy, however, she was strictly dedicated as a teacher for the Reading Recovery program. She loved the one on one nature of the program which gave her the opportunity to focus on the individual needs of each child. She was very effective using the Reading Recovery techniques and literally altered the trajectory of learning and future success for many of the students with whom she worked. She continued using some of the same techniques with her first grade students in the regular classroom after Reading Recovery was unfortunately discontinued in Muscogee County. The program is well established and continues in other districts all over the country, and we are asking, if you so choose, that you honor Nancy with donations to the Reading Recovery program, in lieu of flowers because she believed so strongly in the effectiveness of the program. Her passion was always for the children, not just to teach them how to read or do math problems or learn social studies or science. Nancy’s passion was to instill, for each child, a lifelong love of learning. In most cases Nancy was highly successful with that endeavor, but some children were more difficult to reach. In one such child’s case back in April of 2022, she said, “It just breaks my heart”. That statement is a revelation into Nancy’s heart of hearts. She loves deeply and cares deeply with all her might for everyone, but with an added specialness for the children God placed into her care as students.

Nancy was raised as a Southern Baptist and served a lifetime of service praising God and playing piano at various churches and praise teams. She was a talented musician and helped in leading worship for thousands of believers over the years. Her love for music was inspired by growing up in a singing family and being a part of many choirs sometimes singing in the car, home, or anywhere else she felt like singing. Nancy’s life is most exemplified first by her love of her Lord Jesus Christ and second by her love for and commitment to her husband Lee, along with her love for and devotion to her Dad, Mom, sister Cindy and brother Gary. She holds a special place in her heart for her sister Cindy’s husband, Dean. They are close like a sister and brother, not just in-laws. Nancy has a special bond and closeness with her nieces Christina and Susan (Cindy’s and Dean’s daughters), as well. They could talk for hours on end, laughing much and crying some as they shared life together. When Nancy loves, she loves deeply and she has that kind of love for all of her family both immediate and extended.

Her strongest passions were spending time with family, taking caring of the dogs (dogren) Molly, Rusty, Buddy, Allee and Scooter, with whom she and Lee have been blessed over their years together. She loved spending time with them and taking them on walks. Nancy and Lee also had a cat named Shirley (as in, “Surely”…”thanks, but don’t call me surely”) they brought home from their time stationed in Madrid, Spain. She always said “that Shirley was a great cat”.

A main pass-time activity has been playing online crossword games with family and friends and helping her Dad finish crossword puzzles. She also enjoyed solving and piecing together jigsaw puzzles with him and whoever else wanted to pitch-in. Lee was even able to help on occasion. She loved playing any kind of game that would get any of her family and/or friends competing and having fun together. She loved playing Scrabble, also with her Dad, but again also with whoever wanted to join in. She also enjoyed beating her niece Susan at Yahtzee.

While she was still teaching, Nancy would spend the large majority of the summer with her Dad and Mom, first in Florida, then after 2006 with them at their home in Kingston, TN. Nancy was born in Abilene, Texas, but was a true Tennessee girl at heart. She loved her time with her Dad and Mom, then just with her Dad after her Mom died in 2008. Her parent’s home in Tennessee sits on a heavily wooded four acre lot. Nancy and her dad have spent many days together over the years clearing small plots on the land around his home. Nancy loved going into the woods with her Dad and cutting up trees that had fallen with the chain saw and running the splitter with her Dad to build up her Dad’s supply of firewood. On occasion they would even fell a tree or two. While she loved running the chain saw and the splitter and then burning all the cleared refuse in the fire pit, she mostly valued all the quality time it gave her with her Dad and while her Mom was alive, with her, as well.

Nancy is a very, very special lady. She is dearly loved and will be missed by all who know her and have had the privilege of being touched by her life.

Nancy is survived by her beloved husband, Lee Taylor; father, Walter Evans; sisters and brother-in-laws, Cindy and Dean Lessman, and Becky and Douglas Troutman; brother, Matthew Evans; nieces and nephews, Valerie and Kyle French, their children David, Ethan, Timothy, Sadie and Silas, Erin and Derek Doty, their children Owen Douglas and Hannah Sue, Christina Lessman, Dale and Melissa Evans, Brian and Candice Lessman, their children Makaila, Jacob, Aiden, Teagan and Bailey, Kate and Tucker Dammin, Alex and Nikki Evans, their son Easton, and Susan and Mitchell Phillis; and Aunt and Uncles, Frank Evans, Mary Battles, Buster Evans, and Wayne (Uncle Sam) Evans.

Nancy is preceded in death by her mother, Betty Evans; brother and sister-in-law, Gary and Karen Evans, and their grandson Kashton.

A visitation for Nancy will be held Saturday, December 16, 2023 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM at Morningside Baptist Church, 6065 Morningside Drive, Columbus, GA 31909. A funeral service will occur Saturday, December 16, 2023 at 1:00 PM, 6065 Morningside Drive, Columbus, GA 31909. A reception will follow the service, 6065 Morningside Drive, Columbus, GA 31909.

Contributions in Nancy's memory may be made to Foundation for Struggling Readers, 150 E. Wilson Bridge Rd., Ste. 200, Worthington, Ohio 43085 US, https://readingrecovery.org/rrcna/foundation/.