Nancy Marney

1938 - 2026

Nancy Marney

November 24, 1938 - January 13, 2026

Nancy Marney died quietly in the early morning of Tuesday, January 13, 2026, at the age of 87 at Brookdale Senior Living.

Nancy attended Virginia High School and then matriculated at Sullins Women's College for two years. Afterwards, she earned a BA degree from the University of Kentucky, where she played on the women's basketball team. She remained a lifelong UK fan and flew the flag proudly at her beloved home on Euclid Avenue. After a few years on the faculty at Sullins, she went on to the University of Indiana, where she earned an MA in physical education. Nancy lived briefly in Dallas, working at SMU, followed by a year at SUNY Buffalo, where she coached women's basketball. She then landed at Johnson State College in Vermont, working as a teacher, a coach, a counselor, and an administrator. While at Johnson State, she served as the Athletic Director and was the first female Athletic Director of the Eastern College Conference. Nancy was an enthusiastic sports fan her entire life.

After a decade of teaching tennis in Stowe, Vt., Nancy moved back to Bristol, where she helped care for her mother, Frances Marney. She quickly engaged herself with various civic projects, including spearheading the planting of the Christmas Tree downtown. Nancy loved Christmas and loved community, and the Christmas Tree lighting was a true labor of love. Nancy also organized planting the dogwood trees down the median of Euclid Avenue and on Randall St and Morrison Blvd.

A devotee of local politics, Nancy actively participated in Bristol City Council meetings for many years. She cared deeply about the city's growth and had a strong sense of history. She did her homework! She truly loved Bristol. Nancy was a people person. Not one to engage in the latest technologies, Nancy preferred to have a face-to-face conversation when possible. She enjoyed getting out and running into people, or sitting on the front porch and greeting anyone who happened by. She was witty and had a robust sense of humor.

Nancy developed strong, lasting friendships. Always a coach, she often helped mentor young people when the opportunity presented itself. Going out in Bristol with Nancy always meant you would meet someone she knew, and she thrived on that. Towards the end of her life, Nancy often said that her 3 loves in life were her family, her friends, and her God.

Nancy was pre-deceased by her father, Samuel Rowe Marney; her mother, Frances Moorman Marney; and her brother, Samuel Rowe Marney, Jr. She is survived by her nephew, Samuel Rowe Marney, III (Tara Marney), and their two daughters, Dylan Marney and Quinn Marney; and by her niece, Annis Marney (Glenn Dukes), and their two children, Ian Dukes and Annis Kyle Dukes. The family are grateful to the excellent care she received from Caris Hospice services and the staff of Brookdale Senior Living, and the love and support from her close friends over these past several months.

Charitable gifts may be given to Healing Hands Bristol or the Memorial Fund of State Street United Methodist Church. A service will be held at State Street United Methodist Church.