Nancy Fulginiti McCardel

McCARDEL, Nancy Nancy Fulginiti McCardel, age 52, died on July 17, 2014, at her family home in Marietta, Ga. Funeral services are planned for July 22, 2014, at 3 p.m. at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. McCardel was born on October 26, 1961, in New Orleans, La., to Florence and the late Salvatore Fulginiti. She grew up in Hershey, Penn. She is survived by her husband of 18 years, Brian McCardel of Marietta, Ga.; son Nicholas Fulginiti of Owensboro, Ky.; daughters Katelyn McCardel and Kerry McCardel; mother Florence Fulginiti of Matthews, N.C.; sister Susan Fulginiti of Smyrna, Ga.; brother Michael Fulginiti and his wife Sandra Fulginiti; as well as nephews Zachary Fulginiti (wife, Amy, and children, Zachary, Jr. and Mae); Max Fulginiti (wife, Catherine); Kurt Fulginiti, and Sam Fulginiti, all of Matthews, N.C. McCardel attended Hershey High School, graduating in 1980. After high school she headed south to attend the University of Georgia from 1980-1984 where she received a bachelor's degree from the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. Upon her graduation from UGA, she began her public relations career with Georgia-Pacific and later joined Cohn & Wolfe, one of Atlanta's largest PR agencies. She later held senior PR and communications positions with Reynolds Metals Company, Southwire Company and Fleishman-Hillard International Communications before becoming an independent practitioner. Over the span of her career, her work was honored with more than 20 national, state and local PR awards. In lieu of flowers, the McCardel and Fulginiti families have asked that donations be considered for the Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation (www.jajf.org).