Nancy Rettie Graham Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Nancy Rettie Graham, (91) a positively radiant, loving, Godly woman, died November 17, 2021. A private family Memorial Service was held. Memorial contributions may be made to the Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 North Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32303. Ms. Graham was born in Winnetka, Illinois, and moved to Florida with her family in 1935. She grew up in Ft. Lauderdale. While attending Florida State University, she was a member of Gold Key Honorary Society and Kappa Delta Sorority and served in the Student Senate. After graduation, she served on the Alumnae Board of Directors and remained a loyal Seminole, attending football games and taking classes in recent years offered by the FSU Senior Academy (OLLI). During the 35 years Nancy worked for the State of Florida, she served in the Speaker’s Office in the House of Representatives and as Executive Assistant to six Commissioners of Education, the Insurance Commissioner and the State’s Chief Financial Officer. Nancy will be remembered for her zest for life and for being, in her words, a “cockeyed optimist”. Our lives and hopefully our characters have been shaped by her eternal optimism and her strong faith. She always saw the good in everything and everybody and compassionately lived her faith. She received joy from writing poems to commemorate family and friends’ birthdays and other special events. She also had an adventurous spirit. Whether sky diving to celebrate her 65th birthday, climbing the Sydney Australia Harbour Bridge at 74 or ziplining at 90, she enjoyed life to the fullest. Nancy enjoyed sharing her talents with the community. For many years, she was a mentor at Rickards High, Raa Middle and Bond Elementary Schools. She eagerly took part in the annual United Way drive, and enthusiastically motivated her peers to participate in the Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. She was an active member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, the Burleigh Law Sunday School Class, Stephens Ministry, Walk to Emmaus Reunion group, the Susanna Wesley Circle and TEAM, a countywide, interdenominational group working toward social justice. She was selected for the Tallahassee Active Lifelong Leaders (TALL) program, a community leadership program for people ages 50 and above, by Leadership Tallahassee. Nancy was recognized for her volunteer contributions by being selected as a Silver Star by the Tallahassee Senior Center, and when Volunteer Florida and the Governor’s Office chose her as one of the State’s Points of Light. Survivors include three children, Gena Varn (Fred), Lisa Strickland (Steve), Bill Graham (Julz), 10 grandchildren Ryan (Lindsay), Laura (Will), Nathan (Nikki) and Wil (Allison) Varn, Dallas (Kirsten), MacKenzie (Shawn) and Sydney (Sara) Strickland, and Jackson (Lisa), Sophie and Camille Graham, and 16 great-grandchildren Ashton, Tullen, Thatcher, Fynn and Livie Strickland, Elsie Anne and Craven Fraser, Tristan, Daven, Grady, Anslee, Watson Varn, Wyatt Hudson, Wyatt, Chloe and Henry Patrick. Ms. Graham was preceded in death by her husband, William B. (Billy) Graham in 1966, her parents, George and Elsie Rettie of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, her brother, George Rettie of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and her great-granddaughter Janie Paige Fraser. Susie Mozolic of Bevis Funeral Home is assisting the family with their arrangements. (www.bevisfh.com 850-385-2193)

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Nancy Rettie Graham

May 27, 1930 - November 17, 2021