Nancy Catchings (Becker) Hewes Bevan

Nancy was the middle child of Geneva Moreton Becker and Judge William Henry Becker, Jr. of Columbia, Missouri. She graduated from the University of Missouri in 1961 where she was Homecoming Queen and a member of the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society.

She then received her J.D. degree from Emory University in 1976 where she was elected to the Order of the Coif.

Prior to attending law school, Nancy lived in Washington DC where she was the receptionist for the U.S. Attorney General, Robert F. Kennedy. There she experienced a critical time in American politics from the front row and was featured in the March 23, 1962 edition of LIFE Magazine, in an article about women working in Washington D.C.

In 1962 she married George Lemuel Hewes and moved to Boston, MA and then Atlanta, GA where she had her three children: Lemuel Becker Hewes (54) of Boston, MA, Joseph Poindexter Hewes Sr. (51) and Mary Gaston (“Maggie”) Hewes Adams (50) both of Atlanta, GA..

After graduating law school Nancy began a long and illustrious 30+ year legal career as a clerk to Judge Albert John Henderson of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. She then went on to practice law at Sutherland, Asbill and Brennan, one of Atlanta’s finest law firms.

Having been raised during a time of hope and change she became a staunch supporter of Democratic candidates including Andrew Young during his first campaign for the House of Representatives in the early 1970’s. In 1980, she took a leave of absence from her law practice to help Jack Watson, Jimmy Carter’s former White House Chief of Staff, in his run for Governor of Georgia. Along with her future law partner and friend, Bill Sumner, she managed Watson’s campaign in the 1982 election.

They then started Sumner & Hewes, during a time when women founding their own practices was a rare occurrence. There, she was a very successful litigator focusing on complex business matters including trade secrets, patent law, and large construction cases. She prided herself on providing a hard but fun working environment which attracted exceptional young legal talent in Atlanta.

Nancy also loved art, renovating houses in Ansley Park, and cooking extravagant meals for her children, their friends, and anyone who would have one. Her house was ALWAYS open.

In addition to her three grown children, Nancy is survived by her sister, Geneva (“Genny”) Becker Jacks; brother, William Henry Becker III; spouse, Dana Bevan; daughter-in-law, Mary Kate Bridges Hewes; son-in-law, John Bellmann Adams; and six wonderful grandchildren: Fiona Grace Hewes(18), Jasper Becker Hewes (14), Kathryn Palmour Hewes (23), Joseph Poindexter Hewes, Jr. (21), Frances Bellmann Adams (18), Eleanor Catchings (“Elsie”) Adams (16).

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sisters Frances Becker Mills and Patricia Becker Hawkins, as well as Nettie Louise Jones.

She was also grateful for the wonderful people at Brighton Gardens, including Frances, Debbie, Dana, Keith, Simone, Trudygaye, Geraldine, and Rosaline.

Nancy’s family will celebrate her life in a ceremony on the gulf coast of Florida some time in the near future, where her ashes will spread across her favorite place on earth. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Emory Goizueta Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Office of Gift Records, 1762 Clifton Rd NE, Suite 1400, Atlanta, GA 30322, or to a cause of your choice that supports racial equality and opportunity for all.