- Date Of Birth: August 23, 1953
- Date Of Death: September 1, 2018
- State: Florida
ROCKLEDGE, FL – Nancy Tucker, 65, passed away peacefully on September 1, 2018, at the Hospice of St. Francis in Titusville, FL. She is survived by her husband of 20 years, Robb; her brother, Mitch, his wife, Eileen, and their two children in Memphis, TN: and many cousins, nephews and nieces. She is predeceased by her parents, Jim and Joy, of Cocoa Beach, FL.
Nancy attended Cocoa Beach High School, Florida State University (B.A., Human Sciences) and Louisiana State University (M.A., Child Development). She taught school in Brevard County and on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, worked for Native American affairs within and outside of government, was hired to supervise child development centers for the Department of the Army in Germany, and returned to the United States to supervise military child development centers here.
In 1985, she was afflicted with CNS Vasculitis, which developed into central nervous system lupus. She was forced into retirement due to the severity of this disease, as doctors worked to control its affects and the development of other autoimmune diseases. When the diseases were moderated, she returned to work at the Central Brevard Library in Cocoa, in its technical department cataloging books.
In 1997, she met Robb Tucker, and they married a year later. It was a joyous marriage for both, deep in love for each other and the activities that they shared.
Nancy’s condition started to worsen in 2006, as the autoimmune disease and the controlling medications began to take their toll of her body. She was forced into disability retirement again. In 2014, she fell and dislocated two cervical vertebrae. Nancy and Robb went to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where this problem was corrected, but other health and wellness problems occurred. Faced with a slim possibility of being able to survive through artificial means, Nancy chose to live the end of her life on her terms. In living in pain, fatigue and the constant threat of injuries for over half of her life, she showed a kind of courage and will that we should all strive for: a broad smile, a kind word, a helping hand, an ear to listen and a welcome hug for all, no matter who they were or how badly she was feeling.
Nancy was a member of St.
She will always be in my heart. We had great plans for the next phase of our lives together, and although she will not be physically with me, I will carry her memory wherever I go.
