Emanuel William “Bill” Nash, Jr. died peacefully at home November 23, 2018. He was born in Mansfield, Ohio on September 30, 1925. His father, Emanuel William Nigel Nash, came from a long line of Yorkshire coal miners. He served as a teen in the British Army in World War I before immigrating to the United States where he met Myrtle Dodd of Macon, Georgia. Myrtle and Manny settled in Mansfield where they raised Bill and his five siblings. Growing up in the Depression, Bill worked from an early age to bring in extra income. His childhood and adolescence were filled with paper routes, dairy routes, soda jerking, farming, and peddling. He had great respect and love for his parents and spoke frequently of his happy childhood. He graduated from Mansfield Senior High School with Jacksonville resident John Ropp, who remained his lifelong friend.
Bill served in the Navy during World War II on the U.S.S. Destroyer Plunkett. He attended Wheaton College in Illinois on the G. I. Bill and aspired to be a history teacher. At Wheaton, he met Frances Flewellyn Johnston of Atlanta. Fran’s family encouraged the engaged couple to move to Atlanta where Bill completed college at Emory University with a degree in Business Administration. Fran’s uncle, Frank Marshall Akers, Jr., the Atlanta agency manager for Prudential, introduced Bill to the life insurance business. Mentored by Uncle Frank, Bill really believed in the product! He educated and convinced thousands of people about the benefits of financial planning and protecting one’s family with life insurance. Hence began a thirty-eight year career with Prudential. As his responsibilities at Prudential grew, he, Fran and the children moved between Atlanta, Jacksonville, Newark, and Houston. Bill relished his work with agents. He delivered dynamic speeches to large groups and warmly guided individuals. He and Fran made lifelong friends in the Prudential family. His last move was to Jacksonville where he served as President of the South-Central Home Office, the last in the line of succession of the four SCHO presidents, Charlie Campbell, John Buchanan, and Duncan McFarland. During those eight years, Bill gave his time and talent to schools and organizations in the city he loved. He served as President of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, and the United Way of Northeast Florida where he cofounded the Tocqueville Society with Charlie Towers. He served, twice as chairman, on the Jacksonville Port Authority Board, presiding over the dedication of the new terminal of the Jacksonville International Airport, the opening of the terminal at Blount Island, and the dedication of the new Blount Island Bridge. Bill also chaired the Board of Directors of the Jacksonville Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the Florida Independent College Fund, and the YMCA. At the request of Mayor Jake Godbold, he raised four million dollars to preserve and restore The Florida Theater from an old movie palace to a center for the performing arts. He was Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Jacksonville University, and served on the boards of Episcopal High School, Riverside Presbyterian Day School, and Emory University.
When he retired from Prudential, Bill pursued many other business ventures, but the most lasting and favorite was his involvement in E.W. Nash & Son with his son and grandson. His love of art and antiques and his keen business and people skills made him an invaluable asset to the firm, contributing to its continued success. He never tired of “going to the shop with the boys”. He enjoyed weekly dinners with the Nash and Roberts families at the Florida Yacht Club where he was an honorary life member. He was a proud member of “The Monday Group”, First Presbyterian Church, the River Club, and Ponte Vedra.
In 2002, Mayor John Delaney recognized Bill Nash for his numerous business and civic contributions at the dedication of “The Rock”, a 2.5 ton piece of the Rock of Gibraltar given by Her Majesty the Queen and brought to 841 Prudential Drive in 1955 to commemorate Prudential’s slogan “Own a Piece of The Rock”.
The rock of Bill’s personal life was Fran. Their marriage of sixty-four years retained the essence of newlyweds. They were delightful to be around. Bill and Fran shared a devotion to Christ. Prayer and Bible study were seamlessly integrated into their daily lives at home and in the community. They gave generously to Wheaton College and other Christian organizations and were active in many churches and Young Life throughout the years. One example was their energetic leadership at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church of an annual Sunday School class based on The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis whom they particularly admired. Their marriage left a legacy of inspiration for their children, grandchildren, and others. The joy of their lives together was the family. After Fran’s death, Bill built a cottage for himself at Nash Abbey in Avondale, in between the homes of his son and his grandson. From there, he enjoyed daily visits with both his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He supervised the swingset and partook in his lifelong love of gardening.
Bill is predeceased by his wife Fran, sisters Dottie Estep and Lou Koroknay, brother-in-law Dick Patterson and brother David Nash. He is survived by his son Emanuel William Nash III and his wife Laurie (Dent), his daughter Katherine Nash Roberts and her husband, Don; grandchildren David William Roberts and his wife Annie (Longenecker), Emanuel William Nash IV and his wife Leanna (DeStephano), Parker Nash Roberts and his wife, Jerrica (Williams), Laura Frances Nash and her fiancée, Alex Kalkines, and Donald Johnston Roberts; great-grandchildren, Laurie Frances Nash, David William Roberts, Jr., Luke Parker Roberts, Emanuel William Nash V, Eloise Kaitlyn Roberts, James McBride Nash, and George Troup Nash; siblings Mary Patterson and Don Nash and his wife Jody, sister-in-law Betty Nash and brothers-in-law Tony Koroknay and Jack Estep; numerous nieces, nephews, and in-laws; and devoted caregivers Bettye Holmes and Denise, Kierra, and Kitara Murkey.
Honorary pallbearers are Ernie Bono, Joe Stingone, John Ropp, Clayton Riley, Bob Shircliff, and Preston Haskell. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, December 1st at 9:30am at Oaklawn Cemetery followed by a memorial service at 11:00am at First Presbyterian Church, 118 E. Monroe Street.
In lieu of flowers, Bill would appreciate your contribution to any of the aforementioned organizations, schools, or charities he supported.
Arrangements are under the care of Hardage-Giddens Oaklawn Chapel, 4801 San Jose Blvd.
Please sign the guestbook at www.hardagegiddensoaklawnchapel.com.
