Nancy Olney was born in Oklahoma City on October 13, 1946, the first born of Peggy and Charles Covington. On December 3, 2019, after a nine-year fight with Multiple Myeloma, she left her family and friends to be with her Savior, Jesus Christ.
After graduating from Harding High School in 1964, Nancy attended Bradford College in Massachusetts, followed by the University of Oklahoma where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and graduated in 1968.
When returning to Oklahoma City she married Frank Olney, worked at Tinker on several programs integrating women into the armed forces and was a member of many civic organizations including the Junior League. Once Mark and Matt entered school, she started Covington Gallery to share her love of art with others. Several years later, she also began selling real estate where she enjoyed bringing new people into the community.
Nancy was an inspiration to all who knew her. She never failed to give unwavering commitment to every undertaking. Nancy derived great pleasure and satisfaction from her family, her lifelong friends and her travels across the globe. She was a loving and loyal friend who was always more interested in you rather than herself. Nancy also loved art from all over the world and marveled at the beauty of other cultures. She took particular pleasure in her many trips to New Mexico where she was enthralled by the discovery of new artists, the beauty of the mountains and the cuisine. Nancy passed on this joy to her children and grandchildren. Despite being a reluctant grandmother at first, her five grandchildren became the highlight of her life. She liked spending one-on-one time with each grandchild to understand what made them special.
Nancy was preceded in death by her mother Peggy and father Charles. She is survived by her brother Chuck, his wife Anne and their son Charlie, her sister Julie, her two sons Mark Olney and wife Tambi of Dallas, Texas and Matt Olney and wife Sarah of Little Rock, Arkansas along with five grandchildren; and the many special members of the Covington and Samis families.
A celebration of Nancy’s life will be held on Tuesday, December 10, 2019 in the Chapel at Crossing Community Church starting at 1 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to Crossings Community Church or Arts Council Oklahoma City.
