SANDY NANCE
1942 - 2021
.

Sandy in 1986
.
Sandra Lynn Henderson Nance (Sandy Nance) passed away on January 5, 2021 in a Rowlett TX hospital at the age of 78.  Survived by sons, Jackson Scott of Santa Fe NM, and Mike (Nance) Shannon of Garland TX; cousins, Roger Davis of West Hollywood CA, Padgett "P. W." Montgomery Jr of Uvalde TX (since deceased on 8/2/2024,) Nancy (Henderson) Poe of Colorado Springs CO, Debbie (Lovelace) Harvey of San Marcos TX, and Ray Janes of Denton TX (since deceased on 4/29/2021;) and Sandy's best friend of over 73 years, Freeda (Green) Caudle of Garland TX.  Sandy was predeceased by her father, Henry Wayne Henderson Jr, in 1979; her mother, Atha Lea (Hibbitt) Henderson, in 1960; her longtime companion, Jimmy Wehba (“General Skandor Akbar” of wrestling fame,) in 2010; and her beloved Doberman “kids” Zach (1979-1991) and Nicholas (1991-2004,) along with other pet dogs Spot and Ponto.  Other treasured, but now-deceased relatives include uncle, George and wife Evelyn (Overall) Henderson; aunt, Mary Helen (Henderson) and husband Lewis Lovelace; aunt, Elizabeth (Henderson) and husband Padgett C Montgomery Sr; aunt, Alyne (Henderson) and husband Henry Chambers; uncle, Bob Henderson and wife Charlie Lue; uncle, Paul Henderson and wife Pauline; paternal grandparents, Henry Wayne Sr and Elizabeth (Davis) Henderson; cousins, Bobby Ray Chambers, Othal and Burness (Chambers) Overall, Anne (Davis) Womack, Dorothy (Womack) Deason, Dabney Montgomery and Barbara Ann (Henderson) Collins.  Other late relatives include maternal grandparents, Walter and Lyllae Hibbitt; and cousin, Margaret Faye (Henderson) Reynolds.
.

Sandy on the revered "Resting Lion" mascot statue at East Texas State Teachers College
(now Texas A&M University-Commerce,) 1947, where both her mother Atha Lea
and aunt Alyne Chambers completed their Master of Education degrees
(M.Ed., Class of 1952)
.
Sandy was born September 10, 1942 in Greenville TX.  She attended Quinlan TX schools, and was the Panthers mascot in high school.  Her mother, Atha Lea, was Sandy’s schoolteacher for most of those years; her father, Wayne, owned the Magnolia (Mobil) service station in town, along with two skating rinks—and was Quinlan’s mayor from 1955-62.  The civic-minded Wayne and Atha Lea were instrumental in founding Quinlan's Lions Club and the Fellowship Club.  Sandy could play the piano and was frequently requested (coerced!) to perform during the weekly Quinlan Methodist Church services.  Eventually, she grew tired of living in a small town and having everyone 'in her business,' and left Quinlan in 1960.  She made her permanent home in Garland TX in 1973 after several years spent in Houston and Dallas.
.
Sandy was married twice (first to B. F. Davies, 1957-1963 [d. 2021;]) then D. M. Nance, 1964-1977;) and had one child with each.
.

Sandy, ca. 1957

After working in secretarial roles at Majors Field airport in Greenville TX in the 1950s, for an investment company in Dallas in the 1960s, and for Shook Tire Company in Dallas during 1976, Sandy attended Artistic Barber College in Dallas, graduating in 1978.  She was a hair stylist at Campbell Centre Hair Design for a while thereafter.  Also in the 1970s, Sandy took continuing education courses at Eastfield College in Mesquite TX.  Starting in the early 1980s, Sandy fulfilled a lifelong dream and traveled extensively as an ambassador for the National Wrestling Alliance.  In recent years, she served on the board of directors of her community’s HOA, until being sidelined with vascular dementia and Parkinson’s disease in 2016.
.


Sandy, preparing to reel in a big one, 1988

In her prime, she was a free-yet-burdened spirit, tempered by her small-town upbringing and two unsuccessful marriages.  But Sandy loved her kids, and was quite adept in a homemaker role…especially with her cooking!   She loved to travel, exploring all of Canada, the Bahamas, and most of the US.  Her favorite spot was Peggys Cove in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  And Sandy was just as comfortable being at a formal event as she was at climbing a tree while wielding a chainsaw!
.

.
Sandy with TV news anchor Chip Moody, 1982;
interviewed by The Dallas Morning News after Chip's funeral in 2001
.
Other likes:  Rock music (from Ricky Nelson and Elvis Presley, to ZZ Top and Def Leppard,) Corvettes, wrestling matches and the wrestlers (and was close friends with many of them,) the late TV news anchor Chip Moody, fried catfish, “The Young and the Restless,” vanilla shakes, Northpark Mall, cooking, dress boots, President Kennedy (who once waved back to her in Houston,) roller skating, "Charlie" perfume, church hymns, “Millionaires” candy, time spent with relatives, men with long hair, "As the World Turns," Dr Pepper, Pecan Sandies, dogs, sewing, concerts, Pancho’s, travel, “Days Of Our Lives,” celebrity friendships, denim, peanut patties, lighthouses, Christmas, emails, chocolate almond ice cream, visiting and helping the elderly, "Secret Storm," white chocolate, long phone conversations, dressing in all-black, devising irreverent nicknames, daisies, Chanel No. 5, fried okra, playing piano, “The Edge of Night” and shopping at Sanger-Harris.
.

Freeda (Green) Caudle and Sandy, best friends for over 73 years!
.
Sandy enjoyed close friendships with many people.  While Freeda Caudle was her bestie, she also spent quality time over the years with Marvin Vance, Linda Walker, Ron and Wanda Yarbrough, Llana Willcut, Travis Weberling, Jarvis Young, Mike Reed, Tony and Karen Hargis, June Pitts, Mike “Bugsy McGraw” Davis, April Dickson, Billy McKnight, Gayla (Granger) Kirk, Brandie Perry, Barbara (Caudle) Chapman, Tip Peachee (since deceased,) Leo Nickel, Troy Pinciotti, Doug Eidd (since deceased,) Gary and Chris Cannon, Jim and Bit Northcutt, John Tomaso, A. J. Jackson, Jack Cunningham, Brent “Booray” Parnell, Margie Benson, Bob Mantle, Jesse Castillo, Domingo Baez, Marcella Anderson, Bill LaPrade, Patsy (Jimmerson) Williams, James Beard, B. J. Weatherly, Rick Decker, Dr. Curtis Jung and numerous others.  Freeda, Barbara, Gayla and Brandie are especially appreciated, remembered and thanked for taking time to visit regularly with Sandy in her final years...getting her out of the facility for lunch, a drive, and/or a vanilla shake!
.

Nicholas, Sandy and Jimmy "General Skandor Akbar" Wehba, 2002
.
She lamented the passing of many other cherished friends, including Jimmy Wehba, Laura Norris, Claude and Louise Myrick, George and Florrie Hunt, Lonnie Todd, Dewey and Lela Dunnahoe, Pauline Willie, Jack and Patsy Vance, Frankie and Bennie Quinn, Barrett Dickson, Roy “Pud” Callender, Mac Dismore and companion Stella Caperton, Kelly Carter, Ethel Ford, Freddie Todd, Bradford Young, Virginia Clemente, Alfred "A. J." Jones III, Calvin Knapp, Ginny Nickel, Lynda Gerwig (Kox,) Oliver Black, Vera Green, Edna Merriman, Dr Bill C. Morgan, Truman and Evelyn Nance, James “Kamala” Harris, Hobart and Juanita Lytal, Garnett "Donk" and Annie Mae Wade and daughter Glenna (Wade) Wilson, Bob Soaper and Lillian Cannon.


Sandy in 2020

Just before Christmas, 2020, Sandy contracted the COVID-19 virus and developed pneumonia, and, despite a valiant effort to overcome it, she died January 5, 2021 in a Rowlett TX hospital at the age of 78.  In accordance with her strict wishes, there was no service, and her body was donated to the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth for medical research.  Sandy's cremains are now with family.

Sandy's family deeply appreciates the kindness and efforts of the staff of Highland Meadows Health and Rehabilitation in Rockwall TX, who handled Sandy's care during the last four years of her life...particularly Christa Bachore, and nurses Fabrice Dongmo and Norma.  Sandy's neurologist, Dr. Sadat Shamim of Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, her primary physician since 2016, was beyond instrumental in helping her find peace and to re-find an acceptable quality of life.  The family is forever indebted to Dr. Shamim and his staff, and highly recommend his counsel to anyone faced with such diagnoses.

In lieu of conventional expressions of love, please donate in Sandy’s name to the non-profit Dementia Society of America, P.O. Box 600, Doylestown PA 18901; or to the non-profit Nova Scotia Lighthouse Preservation Society, 1675 Lower Water St, Halifax NS Canada B3J 1S3.  Thank you.
 


SANDY'S TOP 40

Sandy LOVED music and could never be found far from a radio or turntable!  Here's a small sampling of her favorites, in no specific order:

                     1.   Kansas City - Wilbert Harrison
                     2.   I've Got the Music in Me - Kiki Dee
                     3.   Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
                     4.   Obsession - Animotion
                     5.   Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In - Fifth Dimension
                     6.   Garden Party - Rick Nelson
                     7.   Self-Control - Laura Branigan
                     8.   Pour Some Sugar on Me - Def Leppard
                     9.   I Love Rock-n-Roll - Joan Jett
                    10.  Wipeout - The Surfaris
                    11.  Legs - ZZ Top
                    12.  Dirty Laundry - Don Henley
                    13.  On Broadway - George Benson
                    14.  Heart and Soul - Huey Lewis and the News
                    15.  Rock Your Baby - George McCrae
                    16.  Rock-n-Roll Fantasy - Bad Company
                    17.  Black is Black - Los Lobos
                    18.  Uptight - Stevie Wonder
                    19.  Squeeze Box - The Who
                    20.  Here I Go Again - Whitesnake
                    21.  Funkytown - Lipps, Inc
                    22.  Life in the Fast Lane - Eagles
                    23.  Dancing in the Streets - Van Halen; Martha & the Vandellas (both!)
                    24.  Grease - Frankie Valli
                    25.  Do You Know What I Mean - Lee Michaels
                    26.  Disco Lady - Johnie Taylor
                    27.  Hot Stuff - Donna Summer
                    28.  Dancin' in the Sheets - Deniece Williams
                    29.  Old-Time Rock-n-Roll - Bob Seger
                    30.  Devil with a Blue Dress On/Good Golly Miss Molly - Mitch Ryder/Detroit Wheels
                    31.  Naughty Naughty - John Parr
                    32.  Rock Your Baby - George McCrae
                    33.  I've Got to Use My Imagination - Gladys Knight & the Pips
                    34.  Honky-Tonk Women - Rolling Stones
                    35.  Rockin' Pneumonia - Johnny Rivers
                    36.  Radar Love - Golden Earring
                    37.  Will It Go 'Round in Circles - Billy Preston
                    38.  Oh Sherrie - Steve Perry
                    39.  Black Dog - Led Zeppelin
                    40.  Give Me One Reason - Tracey Chapman

Runners-up:  Turn Me Loose (Loverboy,) Walkin' to New Orleans (Fats Domino,) Mony Mony (Billy Idol,) Isn't it Time (The Babys,) Vehicle (Ides of March,) Right Back Where We Started From (Maxine Nightingale,) You Should Hear How She Talks about You (Melissa Manchester,) The Last Song (Edward Bear.)
 

Please email son Mike Shannon with questions, condolences, etc:  mike@dfwRetroplex.com