Nancy Whitaker

WHITAKER, NANCY THOMPSON, 84, of Sandy Springs, GA, passed away Tuesday, June 10, 2014, at home surrounded by loving family members. She was born on January 19, 1930, in Eureka Springs, AR, to the late Richard Ryan Thompson and the late Anne Ellis Tilford. Nancy was raised in Eureka Springs, Maryville, TN, and Shelbyville, TN, with her older sister, the late Ruth Thompson Nance. She graduated from Peabody College in Nashville, TN, and married the late Thomas Powell Whitaker, II. She is survived by four children and their spouses, Thomas (Chris) Whitaker, Jr., of Bradenton, FL, Anne (Steve) Whitaker Butz of Sandy Springs, GA, Richard (Susie) Whitaker of Orlando, FL, and Robert (Cindy) Whitaker of Land O'' Lakes, FL, five grandchildren, one great- grandchild and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Nancy, known affectionately by her children as "Big Red" for her red hair and big heart, loved to read and travel, but most of all, she lived for her family and her Lord. She was a long-time resident of Tampa, FL, where she was a very active member of Hyde Park United Methodist Church, including years of teaching and singing in the choir, until moving to Sandy Springs in 2005 where she joined Sandy Springs Christian Church. A graveside Celebration of Life service for the family will be held at the Magnolia Cemetery in Maryville, TN, on July 19, 2014. In accordance with Nancy''s wishes, the family asks that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to a charity of choice that helps the hungry and the homeless.