Nancy Lynn Cole was born January 12, 1956 in Colorado Springs, Colorado to Eldon “Pete” Cole and Billie Ann Stacy. The family lived in Canon City, Colorado before moving to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1960. Nancy attended Valley and Rancho High Schools before graduating from Rancho in 1974. Nancy shared fond memories of her time in Rainbow Girls and racing her 1968 Rambler and 1973 Datsun 240Z.
In 1975, Nancy was a checker at Lucky’s grocery store when she met a cute 3-year-old little girl named Lisa Anne Dockery and her handsome dad Doc. Doc & Nancy were wed September 27, 1980 and recently celebrated their 41st wedding anniversary. Together, they had one daughter, Stacy.
Nancy was proud to return to school and graduated from the (then) Community College of Southern Nevada with an Associate of Science in Dental Hygiene in 1992. Nancy spent the next 25 years teaching adults and children alike to “do the F word every night” and brush and FLOSS their teeth. Nancy was passionate about oral health education and helping the underserved. She was instrumental in helping develop the Huntridge Teen Clinic and enjoyed helping at numerous community dental health programs and initiatives, including Give Kids a Smile Day and Future Smiles. She was also ordained as an Episcopal Deacon in 1995, and spent many years serving her church before stepping back to focus on her family.
Nancy had the biggest heart, warmest smile, and gave the best hugs. She loved cooking and made sure no one ever went hungry. She enjoyed gardening, traveling, and any new adventure. Since her retirement in 2018, Nancy most loved spending time with her family, grandchildren, and golden retriever Lucy. Nancy will be dearly missed, as 65 years was just not long enough.
Nancy is survived by her husband Jan “Doc” Dockery, daughters Stacy Pokorny (Matthew) and Lisa Chao (Paul), grandchildren Jalyn Chao, Cameron Chao, Luke Pokorny, and Ryann Pokorny, sister Vickie Campbell, nieces Tricia and Amber, "parents at heart" Swede and Fran Swenson, and her beloved golden retriever Lucy. Nancy was preceded in death by her parents Pete & Billie and brother Dennis. Our "Nana" embraced the belief that family didn't have to be blood and loved each member of that "extended family" like her own.
A Celebration of Life service will be held Sunday, February 20, 2022 at Palm Mortuary Cheyenne, 7400 West Cheyenne Ave, Las Vegas. Service will be at 12 noon with reception to follow at the same location from 1-3:00 p.m. Please do not feel the need to dress in black, as we all know Nancy’s spirit was entirely too bright not to be celebrated!
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please make a donation in Nancy’s name to your favorite charity or to the American Stroke Association (www.stroke.org) for continued stroke education and research.
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