Nancy Myers Hamilton

Nancy Virginia Myers Hamilton went to be with her maker on May 25, 2024, in Dallas, Texas. She was a beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, and friend, and lived an active, creative, joyful life of music, faith, art, and adventure. She was kind, generous, inclusive, and free-spirited, and made friends wherever she went.

Nancy, daughter of George and Polly Myers, was born on June 3, 1945, in New York City, the second of four children. Nancy's childhood was spent in Harrison, Ohio, and then in Mena, Arkansas where her father served as the minister at First Presbyterian Church from 1958 to 1968. Her mother, Polly, passed away from cancer when Nancy was 8, and George raised his children as a widower with the help of his church community. Nancy loved music from an early age, and learned to play flute, piano, and guitar. She graduated from Mena High School in 1963.

After high school, Nancy went to the University of Arkansas, graduating in 1967 with a degree in music education. She then moved to Saint Louis, MO to teach elementary school music. It was there that she met Robert "Bob" Hamilton through a young adults' group at Westminster Presbyterian Church, and they married there in 1971. An accomplished seamstress, she sewed her own wedding dress, creating the pattern out of a bedsheet. Soon after they married, they moved to Huntsville, AL where Bob had a new job as an attorney for the U.S. Army Space and Strategic Defense Command. Nancy was not keen on moving to this strange new town in the south and Bob promised her it would only be "six months" and they could move on. However, they quickly settled into their new community, building their family, making friends, and growing deep roots, and remained in Huntsville for over 50 years.

When Nancy's two daughters were young, she earned a master's degree in special education from Alabama A&M University in 1979. She was a church choir director for 25 years, and when her children were older, embarked on a 20-year career as an elementary school music teacher, bringing the joy of music to hundreds of children. She also sang with the opera theater, in musicals, and in the community chorus, often bringing her girls along for late-night rehearsals and volunteering them in various children's roles. She sewed costumes for operas and musicals, ball gowns, Barbie clothes, cute dresses for her girls, and later, their prom dresses, and even later, one of their wedding dresses. Nancy was active and healthy, often rising for an early morning jog, long walks, or taking up an exercise class. Once she even tried belly-dancing. In the summer, she would drag her girls out of bed for an early morning bike ride or walk to her favorite breakfast joint, several miles away. She also supported her children's interests in dance, ice skating, voice, choir, piano, flute, violin, percussion, and art to name a few. They had a few pets over the years, but a 6-pound spunky dog named Tiffany was her main sidekick.

As a member of Faith Presbyterian Church in Huntsville, Nancy formed deep connections with the South African eGoli Presbytery Mission Team and traveled to South Africa several times to worship, serve, and create music, and hosted them in Huntsville as well. She also collected and played African drums and sang with the Huntsville Spiritual Chorale.

Family was always important to Nancy, often traveling long distances to see relatives in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, and California, making memories and having adventures. She loved being a grandmother and created special trips and times with all of them. She passed on her love of music and creative energy to her daughters and four grandchildren and was always so proud of them.

Nancy is survived by Bob, her beloved husband of 52 years, daughters Deborah Waterman (Robert) and Christine Hamilton (Bill), sister Judy Leyba (Fred), brother George Myers (Deborah), brother-in-law Mike Norton, niece Rebecca Gibbons and nephew Alex Bevil, and grandchildren Kiera McIver and Richard, Virginia, and Helen Waterman. She was preceded in death by her elder sister, Joan Norton, and her parents.

A memorial service will be held at Park Cities Presbyterian Church in Dallas, TX, on July 11 at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Maranatha Camp & Conference Center, Scottsboro, AL.