Nancy Pierce

Nancy Burnette Sharp Pierce

Sunrise: February 24, 1952 Sunset: December 29, 2025

This is a story about the most beautiful mama in the world (we may be biased, but that is OK). Nancy entered this world on Sunday, February 24, 1952, and she shouted her way into glory on Monday, December 29, 2025.

Nancy was a beautiful woman of God who would open her door to anyone who was in need. If you needed to find a place to live, she would start making calls. If you needed a place to lay your head, a couch was made available to you. If you found yourself without family on the holidays, she made sure you had an open invitation at the dinner table. If you were hungry, she would get up and cook you a good meal. If you needed someone to talk to, she would give you a listening ear (a little added advice too) and a shoulder to cry on. She was one of the most loving people you would ever meet. She never met a stranger; to her you were a brother or sister. Although she leaves a legacy of love, her greatest was Jesus!

She loved her family with everything within her. She was not only a mother to her children but to many more whom she called her spiritual children. She was known as NanNan to all the kids in the family and had the opportunity to babysit almost everyone, from her nieces, nephews, cousins, grands, and great grands. She loved children and would always say yes to an opportunity to provide childcare.

Nancy loved the Lord more than anyone or anything else in the world. She had no problems glorifying God. If the Spirit of the Lord came up on her, it did not matter what others were doing, she gave God the praise He deserved. She was completely souled out to Jesus. She preached His kindness, goodness, salvation and love to everyone she knew. Even if she was laying in her hospital bed, she was still preaching Christ to the doctors, nurses, and all who visited. In her latter days she could not attend church like she wanted, but she praised God while watching from her bed. She may not have been able to shout on her feet anymore due to health issues, but she shouted in spirit and we know she shouted her way into the arms of the Master.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Haze Wasson Sharp and Irene Shields Sharp; her daughters Bridget Diane Pierce Foster and Grietta Maurice Pierce; and four sisters Hazel Sharp, Reba Malone, Mary Sue Smith, and Henrietta Sharp.

She leaves to cherish her loving memory one daughter Mary (James) Scudder, of Athens, TN, and one spiritual son Brian (Dawn) Hammonds of Athens, TN; five grandchildren Tresvante (Ashley Hicks) Pierce, Etowah, TN, Janail (Bradley Besey) Meade, RantayDavis, Dumetree (Jessica Spray) Foster, and Jazlyn Hurst all of Athens; twenty grandchildren and four spiritual grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; two brothers Stevie (Barbara Ann) Sharp of Tupelo, MS and Dwight Sharp of Athens, TN; three sisters Cathy Dodd and Margaret Sharp, both of Athens, TN, Betty (Eugene) Harris of Stevenson, AL, and two brothers-in-law Alfred Malone, of Athens, TN and James Dodd of Knoxville, TN; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Home Going Celebration services will be held Saturday, January 3, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. at the Redemption For The Nations Church – Athens, TN with Dr. Angela Arnwine delivering the eulogy and Pastor Torrence Farmer officiating. Family will receive friends one hour before the service at the church from 12:00 noon until 1:00 p.m. Burial will follow the service at Hammonds Cemetery.

Services of loving memory entrusted to M.D. Dotson and Sons Funeral Home- Athens, Tennessee