Nancy Sue Williams

NANCY SUE WILLIAMS, 75, passed away at Angel's Touch Personal Care Home on August 25, 2025 following a long and complicated illness. She was born on November 19, 1949 to Betty and Russell Williams of Charleston. She was preceded in death by both of her parents. She is survived by her sister, Jean Woodfell (Larry) of Scott Depot, husband, Peter Costello of Charleston, and sons, Michael Costello (Amy Dawson) of Lost Creek and Ian Costello (Mandah) of Morgantown. Nancy grew up on Charleston's West Side, attending J.E. Robbins Elementary School, Woodrow Wilson Junior High School, and Stonewall Jackson High School, graduating in the class of 1967. At Stonewall, she was a proud member of the National Honor Society, the majorette corps, and -- foretelling a life ahead -- the Future Teachers of America. She pursued a degree in art education from Concord College. As a true product of the late 60s and early 70s, she stood up for civil rights, women's rights, and equal respect for all. She reflected these ideals articulately and passionately throughout her time on this earth.
Nancy was a talented visual artist and a beloved educator in the Kanawha County School System. She first taught art at Spring Hill Junior High School from 1971 until 1978, when she took a hiatus from teaching to open a successful stained glass business. From Williams Stained Glass Studio in Spring Hill, she designed and installed impressive, colorful creations in homes, hospitals, churches, and businesses throughout the Charleston area. In the early 80s, she met her husband and began her time as a proud mother, raising two sons on a farm in Elkview. There, she formed some of her fondest memories, reading to her children against the audible backdrop of spring peepers, tending her garden, and passionately caring for dozens of animals.
She returned to teaching, with stints at Elkview Elementary School, Spring Hill Junior High School, Stonewall Jackson Junior High School, Elkview Middle School, and Herbert Hoover High School. To thousands of students, she was more than an art teacher. She was a mentor and a special friend.
Nancy never lost her passion for activism. She stood with striking teachers for better pay and benefits, started SOS: Save Our Schools to fight school consolidation in rural communities, was an outspoken advocate for arts funding in public schools, and launched a citizen campaign against the PATH Powerline project in northern Kanawha County. In 1998, she was named a Hometown Hero by WSAZ News Channel 3 after organizing a grassroots effort to establish the Elk River Community and Education Center, which still houses senior programs, emergency services, and cultural resources for residents of Elkview and the surrounding area.
After retirement, she spent more than a year writing and reflecting on her life, eventually publishing a memoir, If You Remember Metal Skates. Her stories resonated deeply with readers, especially those brought up in a similar time and place. Nancy relished the natural beauty of West Virginia, with Kanawha State Forest, Watoga State Park, and the Cranberry River counted as some of her favorite destinations. She loved her cats, had an eclectic taste in music, looked forward to family trips to the beach, and especially treasured the companionship of her sister, Jean.
Visitation for friends and family will be held at Hafer Funeral Home in Elkview on Friday, August 29 from 6 p.m to 8 p.m.
A celebration of Nancy's life will be held at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Charleston on Saturday, August 30 at 11 a.m.
Online condolences may be sent to haferfuneralhome.net
Arrangements are in the care of Hafer Funeral Home, 50 North Pinch Road, Elkview.