Mary Nance

Mary was born to Samuel Leroy Hancock, Jr. and Mary Frances Cooper Hancock on July 31, 1941. Mary loved Rome, Georgia. With the exception of two extended periods, she never left her hometown for more than a vacation. A former member of the Rome Girls Cotillion Club, Mary received her BA from Shorter College, before heading to Auburn University to earn her Masters of Education and sixth year (specialist) degrees. Upon graduation, she returned to Rome to serve as a counselor for Rome City Schools, at both Rome Middle and East Rome Junior High.

On April 13, 1974, Mary married her love, Kenneth Nance. While they were dating, Mary and Ken would drive around Summerville Park, stop, roll their windows down and just “feel the neighborhood.” After their wedding, they became lifelong residents of their beloved community and, together, they raised two children: Kathryn and Anna.

Mary showed her love for Rome by leaving it better than she found it - through her passion for gardening, friendship, and faith. She delighted in the beauty all around her. She loved magnolias, hydrangeas, wisteria, cardinals, her Tuesday night friend dinners, her yearly neighborhood Christmas parties, and the community she built at her church home at First Baptist Church of Rome.

Above all, Mary left her biggest mark on the animal residents of Rome. After retiring from the school system, Mary made several stops a day around the city to make sure that the town’s community cats were fed and watered. She served countless kibble meals, and paid for the spaying and neutering of dozens of Rome’s feline residents. When Mary left Rome in 2025 to undergo cancer treatment, her primary concern was the well-being of her precious kitties in her absence.

Mary was preceded in death by her parents, Samuel Hancock Jr. and Mary Frances Hancock, as well as her husband, Kenneth Nance. She is survived by her children, Kathryn Nance Courtoy and Anna Nance Smithson; her son-in-law, Matthew Eric Courtoy; her grandchildren, Cooper Matthew Courtoy, Clara Nancy Courtoy, and Savanna Eve Smithson; as well as countless friends, family members, and fur babies.

The celebration of life for Mary Tarrant Hancock Nance is scheduled for 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 1, 2025 in the sanctuary of the First Baptist Church of Rome. As we honor the bright color that she brought to this world, please consider wearing vibrant colors in her memory. Honorary pallbearers for the service will be Dr. Sidney and Joann Bell, Marsha Dempsey, and Tony and Barbara Triplitt. Flowers are appreciated, or donations can be made in her honor to Floyd Felines.