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KINNEY, NANCY CARLISLE GALLERY, age 83, of Alma, formerly of Mount Pleasant, passed away Friday, September 11, 2015, at the Woodland Hospice House.

A Memorial Service for Nancy will be held at Clark Family Funeral Chapel on Saturday, October 10, at 2 p.m. with Rev. Andrew Miller and The Rev. Nancy Casey-Fulton officiating. The family will receive friends the day of the service starting at 1 p.m. Memorial contributions may be made to the Haiti Nursing Foundation or Woodland Hospice. Envelopes will be available at the funeral chapel.

Nancy was born on March 25, 1932 in Caro, the daughter of James and Martha (Seeley) Gallery. Nancy graduated from Caro High School in 1950 as the Class Valedictorian and also served as drummer in the marching band. She continued her education at the University of Michigan, where in 1955, she graduated with her B.S.N. from the School of Nursing; she returned to U of M and earned her Masters of Public Health in 1977.

In 1968, Nancy joined the Wood County Health Department in Bowling Green, Ohio, as a nurse, later becoming Director of Nursing, and finally Health Commissioner. As a field nurse in the Migrant Health Program she provided immunizations and health care. While she was Health Commissioner, she focused on such issues pre-natal care, the elderly and clean water. In the late 1980s, she made the Health Department a non-smoking facility. She also taught nursing and public health courses at the Medical College of Ohio and served as President of the Ohio Public Health Association. She volunteered for many civic groups including the League of Women Voters, Children’s Trust Fund, Committee on Aging and the Bowling Green Planning Commission.

In retirement, Nancy moved to North Carolina and volunteered with such programs as reading to elementary school children and bringing nursing services to HIV/AIDS patients. She continued to actively volunteer upon her return to Michigan, including at Woodland Hospice.

Nancy enjoyed traveling and was an avid sports fan, particularly of the Detroit Tigers and the University of Michigan football team. She started attending baseball games at Tiger Stadium in the 1930s with her father and two sisters. Nancy loved cats and they were important part of her life for nearly 60 years. She was a member of the Mt. Pleasant First Presbyterian Church, the General Federation of Women's Club, Red Hat Society, and the Eastern Star Chapter 55 in Mt. Pleasant.

Nancy is survived by her children, David Alan (Nancy Herman) Kinney of Mt. Pleasant and Matthew Schermerhorn (Ann) Kinney of St. Louis Park, MN; grandchildren, David and John Kinney of Madison, WI, and Matthew Kinney of Mt. Pleasant; sister, Anne (Charles) Zimmerman of Grand Rapids; and many nieces and nephews.

The common thread in her life was service to others, especially those who were disadvantaged in some way. In all of her roles, she was a champion of the underdog.

Nancy was preceded in death by her parents and younger sister, Janet Richmond.

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