Judy Simpkins' Tribute to Nancy Chess
Posted by Conni Eckstein
on May 03, 2011
Who was Nancy Chess?
Who was Nancy Chess?
I knew and loved Nancy, and I
wanted to have the input of others as well as my own, so let’s hear about Miss
Nancy.
Nancy was a leader in her
field of social work, in community programs, in her church, and in Sooner
Rotary.
She was a devoted wife and
mother. She had a love for
children and taught English, Journalism, and Latin in the Ohio Public School
system. After earning her Master’s
Degree in Social Work, she served as Director of Social Work Services and later
as Deputy Director of the JD McCarty Center in Norman.
Nancy had a love for her
community and served in many capacities, Better Babies, Juvenile Services,
Christmas Store, New Sooners Club, Habitat for Humanity, Chamber of Commerce,
Chi Omega. At United Way she chaired
the Public Service Division and then the Residential Division when she
retired. She was honored as VTY in
1999.
Nancy was also the recipient
of the Oklahoma Social Worker of the Year Award, and The Distinguished Service
Award for the Oklahoma Health and Welfare Association.
She was active at First
Christian Church. Nancy served on
the Church Board and was an Elder.
She served in many areas of the church wherever she knew there was a need.
She joined Sooner Rotary in
May 1988, 6 mos. after the club was chartered. One of the fond memories several of us have of Nancy was
when we had the Haunted Barn at Halloween, our annual fund raiser and she was
the witch in one of the scary rooms.
She played that part to the hilt!
She became a Paul Harris
fellow in 1995.
Several people I spoke with
mentioned the car she bought when she retired. Nancy could be seen driving around town to all of her
community service projects in her red twin-turbo Mitsubishi sport car. She loved that car! She had it equipped with a Boomer
Sooner horn, and her bumper sticker read:
“Woman Make Great Leaders, You’re Following One”.
Nancy was a positive and
caring individual and had an infectious smile. Someone told me that she was the kindest person they
had ever met. Another said she was
fun-loving and feisty! She was
always doing for others.
Did I mention how she loved
that little red sports car?
Her husband Wayne told me
that she always put others first. When she became ill with cancer, Wayne shared
that she never asked “why me?”, there were no tears and no complaints from
Nancy.
Nancy died on April 17,
2002. Her life on
earth was devoted to service, and now she surely is leading a group of angels
for her Heavenly Father.
Did I mention how she loved
that little red sports car?
Judy Simpkins
Sooner Rotary
May 3, 2011