She was born on June 23, 1945, to Ernest Clyde Pearce and Dorothy Medlin Pearce in Nash County, North Carolina. At age 7, she moved to Newport News, Virginia with her mother and 4 siblings where she attended school and graduated from Newport News High School in 1963. In high school, she was a National Honor Society member, Yearbook staff member, Spanish Club member and played basketball, volleyball and field hockey.
Faye enrolled at Longwood College with several scholarships and worked in the Language Lab and dining hall earning a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Spanish in 1967. She moved to Richmond, Va., and began her teaching career at Henrico High School as a Spanish teacher, Cheerleader Sponsor and Senior Class Sponsor. In the fall of 1971, she transferred to the newly opened Byrd Middle School in Henrico County to teach Spanish and was appointed head of the Language Department. While teaching, she enrolled at the University of Richmond and earned a Master of Education in August, 1975.
In the fall of 1970 while at Henrico High School, Faye met Carl Nalls who was the new band director. Carl and Faye were married on December 16, 1972 in Richmond, Va.
Faye and Carl moved to Cape Coral, Florida in the summer of 1978 and after a brief period in mobile home sales, she took a position at Cape Coral Middle School as an assistant principal. She moved to the new Gulf Middle School in the fall of 1980, again as an assistant principal and enrolled in the doctoral program at the University of South Florida. In 1988, she moved to Tampa, Florida and completed her residency as a teaching assistant at USF. In the fall of 1989, Faye moved to the Atlanta area where Carl had taken a job with HBO & Company as a computer programmer. She became an assistant principal in the Cobb County Schools at Tapp Middle School and subsequently at Garrett Middle School, Pine Mountain Middle School and Simpson Middle School.
Faye completed her dissertation and earned a Doctor of Education from the University of South Florida in December of 1994. She went on the serve as the Lead Teacher in the ESL program for the Cobb County Schools and director of the Welcome Center, assessing placement for students newly enrolled in Cobb County from other countries. She retired from the Cobb County Schools in 2008 but continued in education teaching courses in curriculum and instruction at Kennesaw State University and supervising student teachers for the education department at KSU until 2012.
Faye was an avid tennis played while in Florida, but took an interest in golf after knee surgery. She was a member of the Niners at Indian Hills Country Club and enjoyed many golf vacations with her husband as well as many book clubs and Mah Jongg groups.
Faye was an active member at East Cobb United Methodist Church, a leadership council member and a Board Member for the Lighthouse Academy, the daycare center at ECUMC. She was a member of the Golf Committee for Family Promise of Cobb County and an active volunteer.
Faye was dearly loved by Carl Nalls, her husband of 47 years; her brother William Pearce and wife Barbara of Newport News, Va.; her cousin Judy McManus and husband Gerry, Lawrenceville, Ga.; and many nieces, nephews and cousins and extended family.
Her remains will be cremated and a Memorial Service will be scheduled at ECUMC at a later date.
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