Nancy Duggins Vostal

Nancy (Pippin) Duggins Vostal, 94, passed away peacefully Thursday, October 6, 2022, in Overland Park, Kansas.
Nancy Lu Pippin was born to Drura Lavega and Eva Luther Pippin on February 17, 1928 in St. Louis. Her parents quickly brought her back to Pippin Place outside of Waynesville, the family farm and rustic lodge on the Gasconade River that had been built by her grandfather, Bland Nixon Pippin, DDS. At Pippin Place, alongside her beloved older brother, Dan, Nancy formed a lifelong and deep-rooted bond with the Ozarks, the Gasconade River and the flora and fauna of the area.
She graduated from Waynesville High School and then attended Ward Belmont College, then a 2-year women's university in Nashville. After she graduated from Ward Belmont, she joined her brother at the University of Missouri where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and excelled in intramural athletics, winning the ping pong and women's doubles tennis championships. She was also active in University Singers and dramatics, and was an MU cheerleader. She relished performing her Minnie Pearl skit and playing piano "Waynesville Style."
After graduating in 1949 from MU with a BS in Education, she moved to Marshall where she joined the faculty of Missouri Valley College. There, while playing a round of golf on the municipal golf course, she captured the eye of the Saline County District Attorney-Ralph H. Duggins, Jr. With luck and persistence, Ralph talked Nancy into a date. They were later married at Pippin Place in December 1950.
Nancy and Ralph had their first two children, Ralph III and Nancy Dru, in Marshall before moving to Jefferson City in 1953 where Ralph became an Assistant General Counsel with the Highway Department. In Jefferson City, Nancy had Martha and Elizabeth "Missy".
Nancy was deeply committed to serving her community. She was president of the Moreau Heights and the Senior High School PTA's, a den mother for Cub Scouts, a cadet scout mother for the Girl Scouts, and active in supporting bond funding for the Jefferson City Public School System. She was president of the Century Study Club, of the Tuesday Club, and was a docent at the Governor's Mansion. She was a member of P.E.O. Nancy was among those who were instrumental in creating the Capital Region Medical Foundation and later she served as a Trustee of Memorial Hospital and of Capital Region Medical Center. She spearheaded the formation of the first wellness program at Memorial and then greatly enjoyed working with many residents who participated in that program. Nancy later began promoting and teaching tennis, ultimately serving as the head of the Jefferson City Country Club tennis program for 17 years. She was also a person of deep faith who regularly attended services at the First United Methodist Church. She was a fiercely loyal supporter of athletics at the University of Missouri, holding season football and basketball tickets for decades.
In 1999, after a half century of marriage, her husband, Ralph died. She was then fortunate to meet Robert T. "Bob" Vostal while she was spending the winter months in Naples, Florida. She and Bob were married with Bob moving to Jeff City from his home state of New Jersey. Nancy and Bob enjoyed traveling but also had very close ties with their neighbors in Hobbs Woods in Jeff City. Bob died in 2011. Several years later Nancy began to experience early signs of dementia so moved first to an assisted living facility in Jeff City before she relocated to Overland Park, KS to be closer to her daughter, Missy. Nancy's family extends its appreciation to the staff of SeniorCare Homes for the care they extended to Nancy as her dementia progressed.
Nancy is survived by: her four children, Ralph of Fort Worth, TX, Dru Gilbert of Appleton, WI, Martha Leonard of Dallas, TX, and Missy Green and her husband, Ken, of Leawood, KS; grandchildren, Philip Duggins and his wife, Sarah Beth, of Dallas, TX, Thomas Duggins of Fort Worth, TX, Ashley Hayes of Spartanburg, SC, Elizabeth Gildner and her husband, Michael, of Chicago, IL, Emily Gilbert of Chicago, IL, Dr. Samuel Leonard and his wife, Chloe, of Houston, TX, Olivia Leonard and her husband, Jason Barnett, of Austin, TX, Miles Green of Leawood, KS and Nancy Green, presently a graduate student at the University of Missouri. Other survivors include: her great grandson, Rollins Hayes of Spartanburg, SC; her nephews, William Eckert of Arcadia, CA, Dru Pippin, DVM and his wife, Sheree, of Cassville, MO, Richard Ravenhill and his wife, Karen, of Columbia, MO, Robert Ravenhill and his wife, Jan, of Marshall, MO; and nieces Deedee Pippin of Scottsdale, AZ, Sara Stratton and her husband, Tom, of Topeka, KS and Helen Ravenhill of Kansas City, MO.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Dru and Eva Pippin; stepmother, Wilda Pippin; her husbands, Ralph Duggins, Jr. and Bob Vostal; aunt, Lauramae Eckert and her husband, Charles; brother, Dan Luther Pippin and his wife, Dorothy; and nephews, Dru Eckert and David R. Pippin.
A private family graveside service will be held at Ridge Park Cemetery in Marshall, MO. The family will hold a memorial service at the First United Methodist Church in Jefferson City, MO which will be announced at a later date.
For those interested in a memorial, the family suggests contributions to the Vostal-Duggins Healing Garden at Capital Region Medical Center, c/o Capital Region Medical Foundation, P.O. Box 1128, Jefferson City, MO 65102 or First United Methodist Church, 201 Monroe Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
Funeral arrangements are under the care of Freeman Mortuary.