Nancy Jane Endress

Nancy Jane Endress, born Nancy Jane Hoff, on May 22, 1936, in North Manchester, Ind. She passed away at Sentara RMH Medical Facility in Harrisonburg on Dec. 7, 2019, after an unexpected heart attack.

Nancy grew up in North Manchester, Ind., and in 1957 volunteered for a two-year commitment with Brethren Volunteer Service which ultimately took her to Kassel, Germany. There she met and fell in love with Tom, who also was originally from North Manchester. Upon returning to the states, they were married and recently celebrated their 60th anniversary.

Nancy earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Manchester College after which she taught first grade in public schools for 15 years in Ohio, Indiana and Maryland. In 1976, she left teaching to pursue an associate’s degree in the medical records field. She became the office manager in a dermatology facility connected with George Washington University and finally an assistant to the dean of the George Washington Medical Center.

Nancy enjoyed reading, conversing, playing the flute, listening to classical music, tending to her cats, and gardening. If she wasn’t busy with one of the numerous committees she was on, you could find her in her garden tending to her flowers or sharing tips with other gardeners. She lived in Indiana, Ohio, Maryland, and lastly at the Brethren Retirement Center in Bridgewater, Va.

She is survived by her husband, Tom Endress; her son, Kurt Endress (Ellen) of Beltsville, Md.; her daughter, Kathy Zelaya (Guillermo) and two granddaughters of Falls Church, Va.

A memorial service will be held at the Harrisonburg Unitarian-Universalist, 4101 Rawley Pike, in Harrisonburg on Dec. 22, 2019, at 3:00 p.m. The family will receive friends following the service at the church.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions my be made to the Harrisonburg Unitarian-Universalist, P.O. Box 96, Harrisonburg, VA 22803 or huuweb.org.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.johnsonfs.com.

Elegy for Nancy

Nancy, Tom’s lifelong love,
her family’s wise elder,
a friend dear to all of us,
left us, too soon, this December.

No “See you soon.” No “Goodbye.”
That so sudden dying was hard on us,
especially Tom. But in Nancy ’s way
she would say—I dare to guess—

“My dear family, you made sure I didn’t suffer.
You carried out my wishes and for that I’m glad.
I know my ending here on earth had to be,
but for leaving Tom alone I’m so very sad.”

We still hear her voice, don’t we?
Especially the stories she told.
How, nestled on the new white rug,
the kitty offered her a captured bird.

How they downsized to The Village.
How, they emptied all those boxes,
how on the shelves in the living room
she set out all Tom’s precious books.

Best of all we hear Nancy’s joyful song—
so alive for her was the cherished memory—
their youthful years spent with new-found friends,
Nancy and Tom, a pair in love, in Germany.

Our Nancy was always thoughtful, kind,
ready with a grin, a greeting and a smile.
but also matter-of-fact, down-to-earth,
never airy-fairy or in denial.

At work Nancy organized her boss,
did accounts, planned ahead.
When she felt enough was enough,
Nancy said what needed to be said.

From time to time she was bothered.
Remember how she pursed her lip
when the neighbor built an ugly fence,
or when an uneven step made Tom slip.

But Nancy never held a grudge.
She’d step right up, then soon cool down.
Can’t you hear her say?—“That’s just life.
Accept what is; what’s done is done.”

Nancy never failed to say yes to life.
While Tom’s music helped his spirit soar,
Nancy enjoyed the cardinals and robins
and whispered to her flowers.

Her eyes were in the violas shy and blinking,
Her smile was in the robin’s chuckle
Her spirit was in the pansies dancing.
Like honeysuckle her warm embrace.

Let’s remember Nancy, a bright blossom
in our fall, our spring and our summer,
Nancy, a garden full of lovely flowers
who rests now in the peace of her own winter.

 Linda Ankrah-Dove
December 2019.