"Nancy Jean Hoyt, 78, of Wilmington died Monday, February 29, 2016 at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina. Born prematurely on August 23, 1937 in Akron, Ohio, the daughter of Thelma Truran (nee Hargis) and Elmer A. Truran, she was preceded in death by her husband Robert S. Hoyt. Nancy graduated in 1955 from Copley High School in Copley, Ohio. She attended Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri, earning an associate’s degree. She spent the summer of 1957 working on a summer stock production of “Shepherd of the Hills” in Branson, Missouri where she met her first husband, Carl George Kline. The two were married in Copley, Ohio that Christmas. She moved to College Station, Pennsylvania for a brief period while Carl attended graduate school at Pennsylvania State University. She had her first son, Stephan Michael Kline, in 1961. In 1964, she travelled with Stephan to Lima, Peru, where her father was working as an executive for the B.F. Goodrich Company. Nancy and Carl moved several times over the next few years, eventually residing in Akron, Ohio. She had her second son, Douglas Miles Kline in 1965, and her daughter Dana Lynn Kline in 1968. In 1970, Nancy and Carl were divorced, and she remained in Akron, Ohio near her parents. While working, she continued her studies at the University of Akron, earning her B.S. in Education in 1970, and M.S. in Education in 1972. In 1971, she met Robert (Bob) Sheldon Hoyt of Ithaca, New York, and the two were married in 1972. Nancy and Bob raised her three children, and occasionally welcomed Bob’s children Doug, David, and Lisa, into the household. Through these years, Nancy worked as a special education teacher, taking the summers off. The family spent many summer vacations camping on the outer banks of North Carolina. As her children became independent and moved away, Nancy and Bob continued to take driving and camping trips with a pop-up trailer. In 1983, Nancy and Bob moved to Kent, Ohio. In 1996, after 24 years of marriage, Bob passed away. Nancy retired shortly after. In 1997, she sold her home in Kent and moved near her son Doug’s family in Wilmington, North Carolina, where she lived with her beloved dog Lulu. Nancy was a gifted pianist with an amazing talent for site-reading; she could play nearly any piece of music placed in front of her. She enjoyed all types of music including classical, jazz, bluegrass and progressive rock. She loved dogs, including the many pets through her life: Laddie, Loki, Pukah, and Lulu. Throughout her life, Nancy created and made things. She worked extensively with cloth, sewing clothes, quilting, and altering clothing. She loved needlecraft, creating entire series of intricate counted cross-stitch works, and also working in needlepoint. She knit, crocheted, and tatted lace. Through her life, she undertook many craft projects including stained glass, and caning the seats in chairs. Nancy was an accomplished genealogist, continuing the work of her aunt, York Burdine. She was happy to share her knowledge, and volunteered at the New Hanover County Library in her last years. She was a member of the Portage County Genealogical Society (Ohio), where in 1988 she co-published the five-volume “Ira L. Herrif’s undertaker’s records, Kent area, Portage County, Ohio, 1881-1912”. She was a member of the Old New Hanover Genealogical Society in Wilmington, NC, where she led a Computer Interest Group. She was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution in New Hanover County, North Carolina. Surviving are her children ... A memorial service will be held at 4:00 p.m. Saturday, March 5, 2016, at Andrews Mortuary Valley Chapel with Rev. Dr. Samuel Zumwalt officiating."

- on Andrews Mortuary website, Wilmington, NC