Nancy Choate

1936 - 2020

Nancy Reese Choate, 83, of Andover Township died Tuesday, April 28, 2020, at Morristown Medical Center's Mt. Kemble Division in Morristown, NJ. Born November 11, 1936 in Bruce, Mississippi, Nancy grew up in Rolling Fork with her parents, the late Seay and Juanella (Dove) Reese and her brother, Ned Seay Reese, III. Upon finishing high school, she attended Hinds Junior College in Raymond and following graduation, continued her studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing in Baltimore, Maryland where she obtained her RN degree in 1959. Shortly after graduation in 1959, Nancy married that November and went on to have three daughters between 1960 and 1963; Catherine, Nancy Ann and Kimberly. In addition to being a devoted mother to her children, Nancy worked as an Registered Nurse over the years in various locations including Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, NY, Doctor's Hospital in Jackson, Mississippi, and Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. Nancy truly enjoyed music, the arts and nature. She spent many hours entertaining others while singing and playing the piano, and in her later years would pass the time listening to classical, jazz and George Gershwin tunes. She found joy and relaxation in painting nature scenes while in the nursing home, some of which won awards for best in show at local fair competitions. Other favorite activities included playing cards, bowling and raising African violets. Nancy was devout in her faith, having been a member of the Rolling Fork United Methodist Church and regularly attended services at the nursing home in her later years. Nancy was an alumni member of Johns Hopkins, and leaves her legacy by having inspired others to also pursue nursing and other health care related careers, including her daughter, Nancy Ann, granddaughters, Claire and Emily, and staff members at her nursing home in Andover, NJ. But most importantly, she was a mother, sister, aunt and grandmother to a family who loved her very much. Survivors include her children, Catherine and her husband Michael Miller, Nancy Ann and her husband Timothy Kelly, Kimberly Kale and her husband Terry Kale and her brother, her brother, Ned Reese and his wife Sherry Reese of Edmond, OK, several grandchildren, Emily, Claire and Thomas, nieces and nephews, Shawn, Heather, Gwen, and Kyle and her favorite four-legged friends Ginger, Snoopy and Baron. A virtual memorial service was held in Nancy's honor on May 30, 2020. Burial of cremated remains will take place at Midway Baptist Church Cemetery in Vardaman, Mississippi on May 1, 2021 at 11:00 A.M. Memorial donations may be made in Nancy's memory to the American Red Cross-Coronavirus Outbreak, https://www.redcross.org/donate/coronavirus-donations.html/ or to Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, https://secure.jhu.edu/form/nursing.