Nancy Fairley Spillman passed away on December 31, 2020, in Atlanta after a short illness. Nancy was born on June 27, 1930, in Raleigh to Archie Blair Fairley and Macie King Fairley. She had a very happy childhood in Raleigh even though her mother made her take music and dancing lessons that she did not enjoy. What she did enjoy was accompanying her father, who worked for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, as he drove around the state conducting inspections. He taught her to drive at the age of 11 so she could help on the longer trips.
Nancy graduated from Broughton High School in 1948 and received a prestigious Angier B. Duke Scholarship to attend Duke University. She graduated summa cum laude and phi beta kappa in 1952. While Nancy originally planned to go into teaching, she changed her mind and instead took a position at IBM in Winston-Salem. IBM had just started selling commercial stored program computers, and Nancy helped companies up and down the eastern seaboard, from Richmond to Miami, install and begin operating their first computer systems. In 1957, Nancy married Dr. Harry Spillman, a dentist in Winston-Salem, and left IBM. IBM hired two men to replace her.
According to Nancy, most of the early 1960s were a blur for her as she was a homemaker raising three children. In the late sixties, she went back to school at Wake Forest so that she could obtain a teaching certificate and worked for several years as a substitute teacher in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County public schools. Later, she worked part-time managing Harry's office. In retirement, Nancy volunteered at Crisis Control Ministry.
Nancy had a lifelong interest in history, particularly American and English history, and volunteered as a tour guide at Old Salem for a time. Her interest in history was reflected in her love of antiques and, especially, her extensive collection of bells shaped like ladies with hoop skirts. Bridge was also a big part of her life. She played to win and easily obtained the rank of Life Master. Other long-time enjoyments were word puzzles and Jeopardy.
For many years, Nancy was also active in Winston-Salem's sister city program with Bucaramanga, Columbia. Participating in the inaugural trip to Bucaramanga in 1964, including a side-trip on an old bus up a very winding road to Machu Picchu, was the beginning of a lifetime of travel for Nancy and Harry. Particularly after Harry's retirement in the 1980s, travel was their passion, and they took trips all over the U.S. and the world. Nancy loved to write captions for the many photographs they took on their journeys. Some of their favorite trips were to Atlanta and Washington to visit their children and grandchildren. Nancy also loved swimming in the ocean and relished her time at Ocean Isle Beach with friends and family.
Although happy to be nearer to her sons, Nancy was sad to leave Winston-Salem, where she had spent her entire adult life, when she and Harry moved to Atlanta in 2016.
Nancy's beloved husband of 61 years, Dr. Harry Spillman, passed away in 2018. She is survived by her children, John (Catherine), Fairley (Jon Thoren) and Tom (Carol) and her grandchildren, Elizabeth and Margaret Thoren and Will and Matthew Spillman.
The family requests that any memorial gifts be made to St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, where Nancy and Harry were married and worshiped for 50 years or Crisis Control Ministry in Winston-Salem.
Published by Winston-Salem Journal on Jan. 17, 2021.
Nancy graduated from Broughton High School in 1948 and received a prestigious Angier B. Duke Scholarship to attend Duke University. She graduated summa cum laude and phi beta kappa in 1952. While Nancy originally planned to go into teaching, she changed her mind and instead took a position at IBM in Winston-Salem. IBM had just started selling commercial stored program computers, and Nancy helped companies up and down the eastern seaboard, from Richmond to Miami, install and begin operating their first computer systems. In 1957, Nancy married Dr. Harry Spillman, a dentist in Winston-Salem, and left IBM. IBM hired two men to replace her.
According to Nancy, most of the early 1960s were a blur for her as she was a homemaker raising three children. In the late sixties, she went back to school at Wake Forest so that she could obtain a teaching certificate and worked for several years as a substitute teacher in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County public schools. Later, she worked part-time managing Harry's office. In retirement, Nancy volunteered at Crisis Control Ministry.
Nancy had a lifelong interest in history, particularly American and English history, and volunteered as a tour guide at Old Salem for a time. Her interest in history was reflected in her love of antiques and, especially, her extensive collection of bells shaped like ladies with hoop skirts. Bridge was also a big part of her life. She played to win and easily obtained the rank of Life Master. Other long-time enjoyments were word puzzles and Jeopardy.
For many years, Nancy was also active in Winston-Salem's sister city program with Bucaramanga, Columbia. Participating in the inaugural trip to Bucaramanga in 1964, including a side-trip on an old bus up a very winding road to Machu Picchu, was the beginning of a lifetime of travel for Nancy and Harry. Particularly after Harry's retirement in the 1980s, travel was their passion, and they took trips all over the U.S. and the world. Nancy loved to write captions for the many photographs they took on their journeys. Some of their favorite trips were to Atlanta and Washington to visit their children and grandchildren. Nancy also loved swimming in the ocean and relished her time at Ocean Isle Beach with friends and family.
Although happy to be nearer to her sons, Nancy was sad to leave Winston-Salem, where she had spent her entire adult life, when she and Harry moved to Atlanta in 2016.
Nancy's beloved husband of 61 years, Dr. Harry Spillman, passed away in 2018. She is survived by her children, John (Catherine), Fairley (Jon Thoren) and Tom (Carol) and her grandchildren, Elizabeth and Margaret Thoren and Will and Matthew Spillman.
The family requests that any memorial gifts be made to St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, where Nancy and Harry were married and worshiped for 50 years or Crisis Control Ministry in Winston-Salem.
Published by Winston-Salem Journal on Jan. 17, 2021.
Nancy Fairley Spillman passed away on December 31, 2020, in Atlanta after a short illness. Nancy was born on June 27, 1930, in Raleigh to Archie Blair Fairley and Macie King Fairley. She had a very happy childhood in Raleigh even though her mother made her take music and dancing lessons that she did not enjoy. What she did enjoy was accompanying her father, who worked for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, as he drove around the state conducting inspections. He taught her to drive at the age of 11 so she could help on the longer trips.
Nancy graduated from Broughton High School in 1948 and received a prestigious Angier B. Duke Scholarship to attend Duke University. She graduated summa cum laude and phi beta kappa in 1952. While Nancy originally planned to go into teaching, she changed her mind and instead took a position at IBM in Winston-Salem. IBM had just started selling commercial stored program computers, and Nancy helped companies up and down the eastern seaboard, from Richmond to Miami, install and begin operating their first computer systems. In 1957, Nancy married Dr. Harry Spillman, a dentist in Winston-Salem, and left IBM. IBM hired two men to replace her.
According to Nancy, most of the early 1960s were a blur for her as she was a homemaker raising three children. In the late sixties, she went back to school at Wake Forest so that she could obtain a teaching certificate and worked for several years as a substitute teacher in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County public schools. Later, she worked part-time managing Harry's office. In retirement, Nancy volunteered at Crisis Control Ministry.
Nancy had a lifelong interest in history, particularly American and English history, and volunteered as a tour guide at Old Salem for a time. Her interest in history was reflected in her love of antiques and, especially, her extensive collection of bells shaped like ladies with hoop skirts. Bridge was also a big part of her life. She played to win and easily obtained the rank of Life Master. Other long-time enjoyments were word puzzles and Jeopardy.
For many years, Nancy was also active in Winston-Salem's sister city program with Bucaramanga, Columbia. Participating in the inaugural trip to Bucaramanga in 1964, including a side-trip on an old bus up a very winding road to Machu Picchu, was the beginning of a lifetime of travel for Nancy and Harry. Particularly after Harry's retirement in the 1980s, travel was their passion, and they took trips all over the U.S. and the world. Nancy loved to write captions for the many photographs they took on their journeys. Some of their favorite trips were to Atlanta and Washington to visit their children and grandchildren. Nancy also loved swimming in the ocean and relished her time at Ocean Isle Beach with friends and family.
Although happy to be nearer to her sons, Nancy was sad to leave Winston-Salem, where she had spent her entire adult life, when she and Harry moved to Atlanta in 2016.
Nancy's beloved husband of 61 years, Dr. Harry Spillman, passed away in 2018. She is survived by her children, John (Catherine), Fairley (Jon Thoren) and Tom (Carol) and her grandchildren, Elizabeth and Margaret Thoren and Will and Matthew Spillman.
The family requests that any memorial gifts be made to St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, where Nancy and Harry were married and worshiped for 50 years or Crisis Control Ministry in Winston-Salem.
Published by Winston-Salem Journal on Jan. 17, 2021.
Nancy graduated from Broughton High School in 1948 and received a prestigious Angier B. Duke Scholarship to attend Duke University. She graduated summa cum laude and phi beta kappa in 1952. While Nancy originally planned to go into teaching, she changed her mind and instead took a position at IBM in Winston-Salem. IBM had just started selling commercial stored program computers, and Nancy helped companies up and down the eastern seaboard, from Richmond to Miami, install and begin operating their first computer systems. In 1957, Nancy married Dr. Harry Spillman, a dentist in Winston-Salem, and left IBM. IBM hired two men to replace her.
According to Nancy, most of the early 1960s were a blur for her as she was a homemaker raising three children. In the late sixties, she went back to school at Wake Forest so that she could obtain a teaching certificate and worked for several years as a substitute teacher in the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County public schools. Later, she worked part-time managing Harry's office. In retirement, Nancy volunteered at Crisis Control Ministry.
Nancy had a lifelong interest in history, particularly American and English history, and volunteered as a tour guide at Old Salem for a time. Her interest in history was reflected in her love of antiques and, especially, her extensive collection of bells shaped like ladies with hoop skirts. Bridge was also a big part of her life. She played to win and easily obtained the rank of Life Master. Other long-time enjoyments were word puzzles and Jeopardy.
For many years, Nancy was also active in Winston-Salem's sister city program with Bucaramanga, Columbia. Participating in the inaugural trip to Bucaramanga in 1964, including a side-trip on an old bus up a very winding road to Machu Picchu, was the beginning of a lifetime of travel for Nancy and Harry. Particularly after Harry's retirement in the 1980s, travel was their passion, and they took trips all over the U.S. and the world. Nancy loved to write captions for the many photographs they took on their journeys. Some of their favorite trips were to Atlanta and Washington to visit their children and grandchildren. Nancy also loved swimming in the ocean and relished her time at Ocean Isle Beach with friends and family.
Although happy to be nearer to her sons, Nancy was sad to leave Winston-Salem, where she had spent her entire adult life, when she and Harry moved to Atlanta in 2016.
Nancy's beloved husband of 61 years, Dr. Harry Spillman, passed away in 2018. She is survived by her children, John (Catherine), Fairley (Jon Thoren) and Tom (Carol) and her grandchildren, Elizabeth and Margaret Thoren and Will and Matthew Spillman.
The family requests that any memorial gifts be made to St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, where Nancy and Harry were married and worshiped for 50 years or Crisis Control Ministry in Winston-Salem.
Published by Winston-Salem Journal on Jan. 17, 2021.
Family Members
Siblings
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
