Obituary of Nancy Healey Smith

During her near 85 years of life, Nancy Elizabeth (Healey) Smith was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, expectant great grandmother and dear friend to many.  She passed away peacefully at 4:20 a.m., August 16, 2022 at her home at Newton Village in Newton Iowa.  She was born in Greenville, South Carolina on August 26, 1937, the third of four daughters to William Healey and Harriet Mary (Brough) Healey.  Nancy is survived by her children Joan (Jim) Thorpe of Newton, IA, Leigh (Collins) Warren of Ft. Myers, FL; grandchildren Christopher (Natalie) Thorpe of Omaha, NE and Katherine Thorpe of Denver, CO; expectant great granddaughter, sister Joan Fricke and many nieces, nephews and friends.   She was preceded in death by her loving and devoted husband of 39 years, Gordon M. Smith, her parents and sisters Harriet McAfee and Marilyn Gleaton.

The tapestry of Nancy’s life was sewn together with threads of love, prayer and devotion to her Catholic faith, her family and her profession.  Nancy received her nursing degree and embarked on a 35-year career as a registered nurse, serving those in need in hospital and private duty settings in South Carolina, Massachusetts, Georgia and Florida.  While working as a nurse in Atlanta, she was introduced to the strapping Mr. Gordon Munson Smith of Gainesville Florida.  The initial rebuffs to Mr. Smith’s compliments and inquiries were no match to his decency and charm and in May 1968, Nancy was united in marriage with Gordon Smith at St. Mary’s Church in Greenville, South Carolina.

Together Nancy and Gordon raised their two daughters in Sarasota, FL and instilled in them the values of faith and family which were foundational to their own marriage.  Nancy’s love of the Lord; her southern roots; her exceptional culinary skills; her wit; her fondness for red wine and her, at times, direct nature, in aggregate, created a desire among so many to want to know Nancy more and an equally hard time saying, “so long, for now”. We love you Nama and we will all see you soon.

In 2013 Nancy moved from Minster, Ohio to Newton, IA and 4 years ago became a resident of Newton Village Care Center.  On behalf of the Thorpe and Warren families, we offer a heartfelt thank you to all of the nursing home staff for the kindness, loving care and friendship they so freely gave our mother. 

A funeral mass will be held 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 2, 2022, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Newton.  The family will pray the Rosary and greet friends from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Friday morning at the church. Memorials may be designated to the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, the Pregnancy Center of Central Iowa, or the Sacred Heart Catholic Church library and may be left at the church or at Pence Reese Funeral Home.