Nancy Lou Grogan Pittman

Nancy Lou Grogan Pittman, a.k.a., “Fancy Nancy,” “F.N.” and “Gravel Girty,” became bereft of life Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24, 2022. She was 86 years, 10 months and four days old. Anyone who knew her will be surprised she missed lunch.

Hailing from Danville, Va., which she earnestly believed to be the Promised Land, Nancy was the youngest child of the late Frank Thomas Grogan, Sr. and Eva Mae Travis Grogan. She graduated from George Washington High School and attended Averett College in Danville where she trained in bookkeeping. She was a member of Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, where she sang in the choir. She was employed with Nance Brothers Contractors in Charlotte, N.C, Professional Divers, Inc. in Morgan City, La., and in various sales/management positions for Hallmark Cards Inc. and Gayfers department stores, among others.

In 1959, she married Lacey Edward “Honey” Pittman of Kosciusko, Miss., and the couple had two children, William Lacey “Bill” Pittman and Holly Dean Pittman. Living in numerous locations throughout Louisiana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas, they moved 22 times in the first two years of marriage before settling in Ridgeland, Miss., in 1977. Nancy and Lacey were married for 33 years before he succumbed to cancer.

Nancy was an enthusiastic gardener, craftsperson and animal lover. She displayed her beautiful handmade wares for years at area craft shows. She loved all animals and over the years cared for numerous cats and dogs, guinea pigs, turtles, a rabbit (Bullet), a chicken, and a parakeet (Pop). She enjoyed driving and gambling, and she miraculously survived both. She was particularly adept at consuming coffee and food. She hated asparagus but loved anything else in large quantities, especially sweets – and that belied her tiny physical frame.

She was an extensive traveler from an early age when her parents took her on a six-week cross country trip from Virginia to the West Coast and back as her high school graduation present. She liked to say, “I kissed the ground when we finally made it back to Danville” but enjoyed every minute she was gone. She especially enjoyed Navarre Beach, Fla., Maggie Valley, N.C., and New Orleans, LA. Nancy and Holly experienced many adventures on the road including extensive cross country trips through the desert southwest to Las Vegas and up the east coast to enjoy fall in Maine and Vermont.

Most of the time, Nancy’s demeanor was exceptionally kind and jovial, and she was unexpectedly open-minded as well. Note that was most of the time. There were notable exceptions to that rule, and Nancy’s dark side made Darth Vader look like a pacifist and execution by guillotine seem like a paper cut. Whenever a disagreement occurred, Nancy was never wrong; you were. Just accept it as fact and change the subject.

Nancy is survived by her son Bill Pittman (the late Earl Presley Ford) of Richland, Miss., daughter Holly Turner (Dan) of Pearl, Miss., grandson Paul Turner (Stephanie), Mary Alice Turner Chandler (Philip), great-granddaughter, Mason Elizabeth Chandler, many nieces and nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews, a host of life-long friends and her beloved miniature schnauzer, Bella. In addition to her parents, Nancy was preceded in death by her husband, Lacey, her sister and brother in-law, Shirley and Fred Duncan, Jr., brother and sister in-law Frank Jr. and Alice Grogan, sister and brother in-law, Dorothy and Alva King and brother Linwood Travis Grogan.

The family sends its sincere thanks and appreciation to Gladys Townsend, Barbara “Chicken” Jones, Donna Sims, Jeanene Ford, Tina Hembry and Lois Foote, caregivers in the truest sense of the word, who went above and beyond the call to provide for Nancy’s wants and needs in the final years of her life.

A celebration of life will be planned for a date to be announced in the spring of 2023. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, 107 West Main St., Danville, VA 24541, or Animal Rescue Fund of Mississippi, Inc., 395 Mayes St., Jackson, MS 39213.