Nanette Dunn Wadsworth

Nanette Dunn Wadsworth, 88, of Richland, Georgia, was born in Richland, Georgia, on August 27, 1938, and passed away on October 3, 2026. She will be remembered with deep respect and enduring gratitude for a life marked by steady devotion, thoughtful care, and a compassion that made others feel seen, safe, and loved.

From the beginning, Nanette’s story was woven with the rare bond of twinhood. Raised in Richland alongside her identical twin sister, Wynette, she grew up in a home shaped by honest work and close family ties—her father a dairy farmer and her mother a homemaker. The twins rose each morning at 4 a.m. to milk the cows before school, and Nanette carried a lifelong affection for cows and for the place that formed her. She loved her childhood in Richland, and that early rhythm of responsibility and tenderness stayed with her.

Nanette went to Atlanta to attend Georgia Baptist School of Nursing, beginning a lifelong career defined by faithful service and a kind-hearted steadiness that put others at ease. She especially loved working in surgery, with a particular fondness for eye surgery. After many years of dedicated work, she retired from Rockdale Hospital as Director of the OR—an achievement that reflected not only skill and leadership, but also the careful, compassionate attention she brought to every person entrusted to her care.

While at Georgia Baptist, Nanette and Wynette worked the Red Cross Blood Drive at Lockheed Martin. There, Wynette drew the blood of a good-looking young man from LaGrange named Leroy Wadsworth. He asked about Nanette, Wynette gave him their number, and he called that weekend. A date followed—and, as the family remembers, they married six weeks later. Their marriage was grounded in deep love and mutual respect, a devoted partnership that shaped their home and strengthened everyone within it.

When Nanette married Leroy, she embraced a blended family with a beloved, open-hearted grace. Leroy’s two young daughters, Gloria and Stacey, came to live with them in Atlanta, and together they welcomed three more children—Donna, Robert, and Kim. Nanette loved Gloria and Stacey as fully as she loved her biological children, and they loved her just as much. In that home, no one was treated as “other.” The family was simply family—held together by a thoughtful, compassionate presence that made love practical and constant.

Faith and community were central to Nanette’s life. She and Leroy raised their children in church, where the family was present 4–5 times a week for services, prayer meetings, choir practices, and youth groups. The memories are vivid and dear—Easter outfits Nanette would sew, the familiar struggles over which socks would be worn to church, and the unmistakable look she could give when someone squirmed too much during the sermon. Even in those everyday moments, her devotion was clear: she was building a home and a life anchored in love, order, and care.

Nanette’s compassion extended beyond her immediate family. At various times, women who needed a safe place to stay were welcomed into her home. She cared for them, helped them learn basic life skills, and made them feel they belonged. In quiet, practical ways, she lived a thoughtful faith—never treating another person as an inconvenience, but as someone worthy of dignity and tenderness.

Her nursing gifts also reached far beyond her own community. Nanette volunteered many times as a surgical nurse with a group of Atlanta eye surgeons on medical trips to El Salvador. This service reflected the same devoted spirit that guided her entire life: a willingness to give, to help, and to bring comfort where it was needed.

Her grandchildren offered words that capture what so many felt in her presence: she was “always there to pick up the pieces and round out the edges.” She could be strong and firm when needed, yet most of the time she wore a smile on her face. She was happy, a little silly, and full of warmth. They remember her as inviting and disarming, someone who loved people and kept “opening her arms” to them. They speak of her “find a way” attitude, deeply rooted in her faith in God and lived out by example. To them, she was “the most fun grandma,” always ready to make them laugh and to make sure they were having fun—whether life was ordinary or difficult, whether someone was in the hospital or a tree had fallen on the house. Her heart was set on making sure everyone around her felt cared for and at peace.

Nanette will also be remembered as a natural beauty, gentle in spirit and remarkably unshaken by life’s disruptions—never allowing anyone or anything to take away her peace. She was strong, steady, and devoted to her family, and she remained compassionate toward others in need. Her legacy is one of beloved presence: a life lived with open hands, a thoughtful mind, and a kind heart that made room for others.

Nanette is survived by: her twin sister: Wynette Mase,

children, Gloria Mayo (Tom), Donna Quam (Dave),

Robert Wadsworth (Mary) and Kim Barnes (Greg)

Grandchildren: (oldest to youngest)

Shelley Schultheis (Brad) (great grandchildren - Austin, Chandler, and Sophie) (great/great grandchildren - Willow, Jude and Ruth)

Jennifer Peele (great grandchildren - Brianna, and Gabrielle)

Jeremy Peele

Amberly Thompson (Jason) - (great grandchildren - Amelia, Eloise, and Wagner)

Phillip Eubanks (Natalia) - (great grandchild - Luka)

Michael Eubanks (Catey) - (great grandchildren - Holden, Beatrice, and Vivienne)

Katie Wadsworth

Lizzie Wadsworth

Courtney Maddox (Joey) - (great grandchildren - Thomas, Gregory (Ansley), and Magnolia) (great/great grandchild - Jack)

Sara Madison McCreary (Trace)

Mallory Erwin (Cameron) - (great grandchildren - Emerson, Cooper, and Rian Frances)

Hunter Barnes (Andrea) - (great grandchildren - Rhett, and Sutton)

Eden Quam and Iris Quam

Cousin Vivian Dunn Whitley (Joe)

Many nieces and nephews

Nanette was preceded in death by her father, mother, husband, Leroy Wadsworth, and daughter Stacey Dowd

Visitation for Family and Friends will be held at Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, 4071 Macon Road, Columbus, Georgia 31907, on October 9, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. in the St. Elmo Room.

A Celebration of Nanette’s Life will be held at St. Paul Church, Illges Chapel, 2101 Wildwood Ave., Columbus, Georgia 31906, on October 10, 2026, at 10:30 AM with Reverend Dr. P. Shane Green officiating according to Striffler-Hamby Mortuary, Columbus, GA.Fmaddox