Nola Helen Langley

Nola Helen (King) Langley transitioned from this early plain to Glory on December 21, 2023, at 88. Nola is the second child of Edna Amanda Grace (Knight) King and Reverend Howard Hartwell King; she was born during the Depression on the fifth birthday of her brother, Howard Edward (Berl) King, on November 4, 1935, in Etowah, Arkansas. Her father was a Baptist minister and missionary to the Navaho Indians; therefore, throughout her childhood, she lived in many different places (West Virginia, Kentucky, New Mexico, and Arkansas). Though residence changed often, the core of her family unit was and remained God, our Heavenly Father.

In April of 1942, during a revival in Hamlin, West Virginia, Nola came forward and publicly professed Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior; she was six years old. Following her profession of faith, she was baptized on a cold morning that same April- her father broke the ice that formed on the edge of Mud River, and she wadded into the shallows with him. He baptized her in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Nola was blessed with the gift of music; she shared her talents of singing and playing the piano throughout her life. She sang in church as a child and, when she attended Walnut Ridge High School, was a member of an all-girls Ensemble who traveled all over Northwest Arkansas, Hot Springs, and Little Rock performing – they were heard in person, on the radio, and television. After graduating from Walnut Ridge High School in 1953, Nola enrolled at Southern Baptist College, now named Williams College, where she continued to develop her voice and further progressed her abilities as a pianist. While at Southern Baptist College, Nola looked in the receiving line for new students and saw Earl Thomas Langley; she was immediately drawn to him and he to her. The two married on June 25, 1955, in the school chapel, where her father, a professor at Southern Baptist College, performed the ceremony.

Nola continued her education through Arkansas State University and the University of South Florida. She received the following degrees and certifications: Bachelor of Science in Education (ASU, 1958), Master of Science in Education (ASU 1962), Elementary Education, grades 1-6 (ASU), Instructor of Junior College (ASU), Administration and Supervision (USF), Reading, grades 1-12 (UFS), and Certification in English for Speakers of Other Languages (FL Dept Ed).

Nola spent her life as a pastor’s wife, mother, and professional educator. The schools and positions she held were: Lost Cane School, Manila, AR; Bono Public Schools, Bono, AR); Meadow Brook School, North Kansas City, MO; Grubbs Public Schools, Grubbs, AR; Cooter Public Schools, Cooter, MO; Jonesboro Public Schools, Jonesboro, AR; Pasco Elementary School, and Reading Specialist at Cox Elementary School both in Dade City, FL (1988-99). Nola retired from education in June of 1999. While teaching, she played the piano, led Sunday School, and was the secretary for the churches her husband pastored: New Harmony Baptist Church of Mississippi County, AR; First Baptist Church of Bono, AR; First Baptist Church of Cash, AR; Yarbro Baptist Church of Blytheville, AR; Mt Zion Baptist Church of Walcott, AR; Amelia Baptist Church of Dade City, FL; First Baptist Church of Dade City, FL; Clay Sink Baptist Church of Webster, FL; and Northside Baptist Church of Dade City, FL where Jesus Christ is Lord and everyone is someone special.

Nola was greeted in Heaven by her beloved husband of 68 years, Earl Thomas (Tom) Langley; parents, Edna Amanda Grace (Ted) and Howard Hartwell King; brother, Howard Edward (Berl) King; son, Earl Thomas Langley, Jr.; and daughter-in-law, Cathy (Deal) Langley. She is survived by her son, Thomas David Langley; daughter, Sherri King Langley; grandchildren: Sharon Alford Swonger (Ron), Thomas Eugene Alford (Kelly), Gordon Lamar Alford (Mary), Michael Joseph Alford (Candace), Jessica Nicole Hawkins (Ty), Lisa Amanda Lee Langley; great-grandchildren: Savannah Alford, Grace Alford, Blake Swonger, Paige Swonger, Jordan Hawkins, David Alford, Ainsley Alford, and Lucas Alford; sisters-in-law: Charlene (Robertson) King; Linda Langley Sander; sister-in-law, Ruth Ann Langley Lee (Ollie). Nola also has a plethora of nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life is scheduled for Thursday, December 28, 2023, at 11 am at Turner Funeral, 14360 Spring Hill Dr, Spring Hill, FL 34609.