Linda Patton Nance

Linda Patton Nance died March 12, 2016.  She was born September 8, 1937, in Charlotte, North Carolina, the daughter of Roy Clayton Patton and Isabel Pressly Patton.

Linda was educated in the Charlotte public schools and graduated from Charlotte Memorial Hospital School of Nursing (CCHS) in Charlotte, becoming a Registered Nurse.  She worked as a Recovery Room and Intensive Care nurse while her husband was in medical school and residency training.  She later earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Linda moved with her husband and children to Wilmington in 1967, when her late husband entered the practice of Orthopaedic Surgery with the Wilmington Orthopaedic Group (Ortho Wilmington).  In Wilmington, she became active in the community, believing it imperative that she support her church, her children’s school, and her husband’s profession.  She was president of the PTO at Alderman School, active in the Medical Alliance, and served in many capacities at First Presbyterian Church.

In the Medical Alliance, Linda served the county on many levels including president.  She was president of the NC Medical Alliance in 1984-85, and served on the AMA Alliance board for three years.  Child Abuse and Neglect awareness was the focus for the year she was state president.  During this time, many became aware of this problem for the first time and people throughout the state began to talk openly about this subject becoming advocates for awareness and prevention.  She was chairman of the Cape Fear Museum Board of Trustees and president of the Cape Fear Museum Associates Board of Directors for five years.  She was named Volunteer of the Year in 1992.  She also served as county president as well as state president of the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Councils. 

Linda was a sustaining member of the Junior League of Wilmington serving on the research committee to develop a program for fourth graders at the Cape Fear Museum.  In 1988, she was named Junior League Sustainer in Action.  She was appointed by Governor Martin to the NC Foundation for Alternative Health Programs Board of Directors from 1986 to 1992.  She was also appointed by Governor James Martin to the State School Health Advisory Committee in 1991.

 A member of First Presbyterian Church for 49 years, Linda served as both deacon and ruling elder, serving on many committees, teaching church school, chairing the wedding committee, serving on the décor committee, and singing in the choir for forty years.  She continued as choir librarian after retiring from the choir until her health prevented her from fulfilling those duties.

Working with university leaders at UNC Wilmington, Linda was a member of the Foundation Board, serving as its chairman; the Board of Visitors; and a past president of the Friends of UNCW.  She was named Distinguished Alumna in 2013.

Linda had a love of classical music and was an avid supporter of the arts in Wilmington.  She served on the Wilmington Symphony Board of Directors for many years and assisted in fundraising during the early years of the Symphony.

Linda was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband of neatly 52 years, Charles Lee Nance, junior; and her brother, William Clayton Patton.  Linda is survived by her son, David Lee Nance and his wife Marcie of Wilmington, and a daughter Susan Patton Nance Callaway and her husband Thomas Howard Callaway of Atlanta, GA., four granddaughters, Julia and Laura Nance of Wilmington and Patton and Isabel Callaway of Atlanta.  She is also survived by her sister, Sue Pressly Patton of Jacksonville, FL and her sister-in-law, Jean Downs Patton of Signal Mountain, TN, her sister-in-law Ruth Nance Montfort and her husband Russell, as well as two nieces and a nephew.

A Memorial Service celebrating her life will be held at 2:00 pm, Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at First Presbyterian Church, Wilmington, NC.  There will be a private interment in the Columbarium at First Presbyterian Church.

Memorials may be made to the Special Music Fund: First Presbyterian Church, 125 South Third Street, Wilmington, NC 28401 or UNCW Foundation (Linda and Charles Nance Fellowship in Creative Writing).

The family thanks Lower Cape Fear Hospice and her loving caregivers.