Nancy McRae Hobbs Banks

She lived in New Bern, Wilson, Goldsboro, Durham, Raleigh, and Rocky Mount.  She met her future husband, Myron Banks, in 1942, when they each moved to Raleigh and were placed in the same sixth grade class at Wiley Elementary School and became good friends. They both attended Edenton Street Methodist Church, where her father was the minister.

Nancy attended Needham Broughton High School before moving to Rocky Mount in 1947, where she was president of the National Honor Society, pianist for the chorus and a teen radio program, a senior superlative - most talented, class officer, and graduated from Rocky Mount High in 1949.

She attended Greensboro College her freshman year, where she was a class officer, member of the Little Singers madrigal group, and the Honor Society. After transferring to Duke University her sophomore year, she became a class officer, candidate for Homecoming Queen, and member of the following Greek letter organizations: Phi Beta Kappa, scholastic; Kappa Delta Pi, education honorary; Phi Delta Kappa, leadership; and Alpha Delta Pi, social. She was a Freshman Advisory Counselor and member of the Duke Chapel Choir, Triple Trio, and Student Forum. Majoring in English, she taught at Durham Senior High.

In 1953, she married Myron and they began their long and happy life together.

Nancy’s first teaching position was at Braggtown School in Durham County, where she taught seventh and eighth grades. When Myron’s naval duty took them to the Canal Zone, Panama, she did some substitute teaching. They moved to Norfolk, Virginia where he completed his naval duty and she mothered three children. After moving back to Raleigh, where Myron practiced law, she taught for thirty years at LeRoy Martin Junior High, which later became a magnet middle school. There she served as English Department Chair, class advisor, advisor to the National Junior Honor Society, Student Council, and literary magazine, which won state awards for several years. Additionally, she taught many literary and creative electives. Nancy was chosen by her peers as Martin’s “Teacher of the Year”, and was always the teacher everybody wanted.  She also served as a Wake County Teacher Assessor for the merit pay program, was president of the Raleigh Writing Alliance, and was a member of the N. C. Association of the Gifted and Talented. She was a member of accreditation teams and chosen to attend NCCAT weeks in Cullowhee. After retiring, she was a supervisor of student teachers at N. C. State University.

Nancy was chosen Wake County Teacher of the Gifted and Talented, North Carolina Outstanding English Teacher, and the News and Observer “Tar Heel of the Week” in December 1989.

She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, education honorary, and served in various offices, including president. She enjoyed membership in Daughters of the American Revolution, Colonial Dames of the 17th Century, First Families of North Carolina Board, and her writing group- The Scribblers. She also served on the Governor’s Cultural Advisory Committee, and was an active member of the North Carolina English Teachers Association, serving as secretary and board member.

Nancy was an active member of Edenton Street United Methodist Church, where she sang in the Chancel Choir for over fifty years and also served as president. She loved her Francis Asbury Sunday School Class and served as president, teacher, and pianist. She chaired the Worship Committee and Scholarship Committee, was a member of the Administrative Board, Council on Ministries, church women’s circle, and was a founding member of the Lay Shepherding Ministry and the E Streeters Senior Fellowship. She was a member of the Wednesday Morning Bible Study, serving as leader and teacher. She enjoyed serving behind the scenes, proofreading the church newsletter, and preparing bulletin boards throughout the church.  With Sue McDowell, she coauthored “Sanctuary “, a book detailing the rebuilding of Edenton Street Church following the disastrous fire of 1956.

Nancy enjoyed volunteering for the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, the North Carolina Symphony, the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, and the N.C. Museum of Art, where she served on the information desk for twenty years, the volunteer board, and the membership committee.

She and Myron traveled extensively in Europe and the U.S. and especially loved Iceland and Great Britain, where they toured all forty-eight Anglican cathedrals. In England they made lasting friendships, visiting each other in their respective overseas homes.

Nancy loved her church, family, and friends, teaching school, playing the piano, singing in the choir, writing poetry, proofreading, flower arranging, creating posters, drawing, calligraphy, organizing activities, reading British mysteries, classical music, symphony concerts, the art and science museums, Bible study, lunching with friends, making greeting cards, Lay Shepherding, sharing ideas, making and sharing fig preserves as her mother-in-law taught her, beach combing for shells, the mountains, her beloved cats, knitting, creating crafts with rocks and shells, and working behind the scenes.

Nancy was predeceased by her parents and two brothers, James Hobbs and Tom Hobbs. She is survived by her husband, Myron C. Banks, and their three children: Caroline Whitley (Neal), Steven Banks (Margaret), and David Banks (Beth); grandchildren: Mason Spitler (Eric), McRae Otto (Luke), Colbourne Whitley, Maggie Banks (Bryce), Andrew Banks, Dalton Banks (Giulia), Carter Banks, William Banks; great grandchildren: Marshall Otto, Clara Banks, and Daisy Spitler.

Teaching was Nancy’s passion, but her great life-long love was her husband and soulmate, Myron, with whom she shared seventy-two incredible loving years of marriage.

A service to celebrate and honor Nancy’s life will be held on Saturday, June 21 at 1:00 pm, at Edenton Street United Methodist Church.

Memorial gifts may be made to: The Francis Asbury Class, ESUMC, 228 W. Edenton St., Raleigh, N.C. 27603; Duke Chapel, 401 Chapel Dr., Box 90974, Durham, N.C. 27708; Greensboro College, 815 W. Market St., Greensboro, N.C. 27401.

Brown-Wynne, 300 Saint Mary's St., Raleigh, is serving the Banks family.