Nancy Rebecca Willis

Obituary Nancy Rebecca Knight Willis, 88, passed away peacefully at home and into the arms of Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on October 17, 2020. She was a beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother to her loving family, and a steadfast friend and mentor to an endless list of kith and kin. For over 60 years, Nancy made her home in Pascagoula, MS, and raised her family with her husband and love of her life for over 52 years, the late Kenneth H. Willis, Sr. She was a Registered Nurse for 41 years, 34 of which were spent at Singing River Hospital in Pascagoula, until retirement in 1994. She was active in the Order of the Eastern Star, Pascagoula Chapter #151 for many years, where she filled many offices and was a Past Worthy Matron. Nancy was a dedicated and faithful member of First United Methodist Church in Pascagoula, and a member of the Good Samaritan Sunday School Class. Nancy was born in Guilford County, NC, on December 16, 1931, to the late Clarence ONeal Knight and the late Flora Ethel Mitchell Knight, and was raised on the family dairy farm. She attended Guilford High School, was active in Girls Basketball and 4H Club, and after graduation in 1950, attended Nursing School at NC Baptist Hospital, where she graduated in 1953 as a Registered Nurse. Nancys capacity for showing love, warmth, and compassion was boundless. She had a very devoted soul and was a special woman whose life was dedicated to her Lord, her family, and her friends. She loved to sew, embroider, work in her amaryllis flower beds, make jams, jellies, and preserves, and cook for the people she loved. She is preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth H. Willis, Sr., and her son, Kenneth H. Willis, Jr., both of Pascagoula; parents, Clarence O. and Flora E. Mitchell Knight; stepmother, Ellen (Dean) Knight; sister, Betty J. Knight Montgomery; stepsister, Jean Thornton; brother, Clarence E. Knight, Sr.; brother-in-law, William H. Willis, Jr.; sister-in-law, Edith A. Lockhart; nephew, Clarence E. Knight, JR.; niece, Rebecca Everhart Riffe, all of North Carolina. The family will receive friends from 12:30 to 1:30 on Monday at Noe-Brooks Funeral Home of Morehead City. A graveside service will follow at 2:00PM at Oceanview Cemetery in Beaufort. Nancy is survived by her daughter, Betty Joy (Willis) Gorman; son-in-law, William A. Gorman, Jr.; granddaughter, Ashley C. Gorman; grandson, William H. Gorman; great-granddaughter, Amaya C. Ramos; great-grandson, Tommy Joe Ramos, Jr.; along with numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Nancys memory to the Susan Belcher Scholarship Fund at First United Methodist Church in Pascagoula, American Diabetes Foundation, Lupus Foundation of America, or your charity of choice. Condolences and life tributes may be sent to the family at www.noebrooks.net Arrangements by Noe-Brooks Funeral Home, Morehead City, NC. Services Visitation Monday October 26, 2020 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM Noe-Brooks Funeral Home and Crematory 201 Professional Circle Morehead City, NC 28557 Graveside Service Monday October 26, 2020 2:00 PM Oceanview Cemetery, Beaufort, NC