Carl Lee Nance Jr.

1924 - 2025

At the remarkable and fruitful age of 101, beloved father, grandfather, great and great great grandfather, devoted veteran and Purple Heart recipient, treasured friend to countless people, and a pillar of the Tippah County community, Mr. Carl Lee Nance, Jr. entered into the presence of his dear Savior, Jesus Christ, on Sunday evening, November 30, 2025, at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Oxford, Mississippi.

Services honoring this devoted father and son will be held at 2 PM on Saturday, December 6, 2025, in the Heritage Chapel of Ripley Funeral Home, with visitation from 11 AM until time of service. Family, friends, and all who were touched by their lives are invited to gather, remember, and reflect together. The service for Mr. Carl Lee Nance, Jr. will include Military Honors in recognition of his faithful service to our country. Following the chapel service, private family graveside services will take place-Mr. Nance, Jr. will be laid to rest in Tippah Memorial Gardens, and Mr. Carl Lee "Kilo" Nance III will be laid to rest in the Nance Family Cemetery.

Born and raised in Ripley, Mr. Nance often reminisced about "being born in my granddaddy's house one block off the town square." The cherished son of the late Carl Lee Nance Sr. and Edwynna Philips Nance, he was a gifted student and a naturally talented marksman from an early age. He entered Ole Miss at just 16 years old, before being drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II at 18. He trained at Fort Benning-now Fort Moore-where his platoon famously broke the record on the moving-target range.

In August of 1944, he sailed aboard the Queen Elizabeth with 18,000 troops bound for Europe, later landing at Utah Beach on September 7, 1944, as a member of K Company, 301st Regiment, 94th Infantry Division. Throughout the war, he survived many close calls, including The Battle of the Bulge and the Saar River Crossing, as well as, the capture of the city of Trier, Germany. He always carried a quiet humility about his experiences and a deep gratitude for God's protection. His service, sacrifice, and strength remained a defining thread woven throughout his long life.

After the war, he resumed his studies and went on to obtain his business degree from the University of Mississippi. Upon returning home, Mr. Nance married the love of his life, Virginia Aldridge Nance, whom he first met in grammar school and whom he lovingly referred to as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen-even until the very end. Together they remained in the town they treasured so dearly, raising two sons and building a life anchored in faith, commitment, community, love and lots of laughter. He often reminisced about he and Virginia's deep and enduring love they shared, a love that shaped every season of their life together. Following in the footsteps of his father, Mr. Nance continued the family hardware business, R. L. Nance and Company-a cornerstone of Ripley for generations. During those years, the hardware store also owned and operated a funeral home located beneath it, and with wisdom, vision, and a genuine heart for serving others, Mr. Nance-alongside four fellow founders-helped originate and construct a new, dedicated funeral home facility. That legacy of service stands today as Ripley Funeral Home.

A devoted Christian and longtime member of First Baptist Church, Mr. Nance lived out his faith quietly and consistently. And though he never truly stepped away from the work and routines he loved, his later years were marked not by slowing down, but by staying remarkably active. He devoted more time to exercising and taking daily walks at the local track, faithfully attended Rotary Club meetings each week for decades, and continued to hunt and fish well into his 90s. In those treasured seasons, he also found joy in life's simple pleasures-peaceful days, familiar rhythms, and gathering near the family he loved beyond measure. Whether sharing stories, offering guidance, or simply being present, he remained the steady, loving center of his home.

While there is so much that could be said about Mr. Nance and over a century of life beautifully lived, his life truly spoke for itself. Through his character, his kindness, his integrity, and his unwavering devotion to his family and community, he left a legacy that will stand for generations to come. And there is deep comfort in knowing that he is now reunited in Heaven with his beloved wife, his son, and the many dear family members who went before him. In a way that only God could orchestrate, his son Carl followed him home just one day later-a tender reminder of the Lord's perfect timing and the unbroken bond of a family reunited in Glory.

Those left to cherish Mr. Nance legacy include his granddaughter, Angela Nance Bostelman-Kaczmarek (Thomas), his grandson, Nicholas Nance (Keri Jackson), six great grandchildren, Max Bostelman, Will Bostelman, Luke Bostelman, Ryan Kaczmarek, Noelle Kaczmarek and Phoenix Lee Nance, one great great grandson, Ellis Hart Bostelman, his previous daughter in law, Cyndi Eaton, and two nephews, Richard Nance, and Dave Craig Jr. (Susan), along with a wide circle of friends throughout the community.

In addition to his wife and parents, Mr. Nance was also preceded in death by his son, Philip "Possum" Nance, his brother, Robert Finch Nance, and his nephew, Robert Nance.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to the University of Mississippi Foundation. Please direct your gift to the Carl Lee Nance Jr. Scholarship Endowment in his memory. Gifts may be made online at NowAndEver.olemiss.edu, by phone at 662.915.5944, or by mail: the University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Avenue, Oxford, MS 38655