Nancy Trevathan Reeves, 82, of Paducah, Kentucky, passed away on October 14 at home surrounded by her husband of almost 60 years and two daughters.
Nancy was born on August 1, 1941, to Fairy Agnus “Ophie” and Ed Trevathan in Paducah, Kentucky. She graduated from Paducah Tilghman High School in 1959 and went on to study mathematics, a subject she was always passionate about, at Murray State University, earning a BA in Mathematics and Secondary Education in 1962 and then a MA, also in Mathematics, at Murray State University in 1965.
After graduation, Nancy taught mathematics at Paducah Tilghman High School for several years before moving on to teach the majority of her 37-year teaching career at Heath High School. After retirement from public schools, Nancy returned to teach mathematics at Community Christian Academy and part-time in Livingston County.
Nancy and the love of her life, Charles Reeves, grew up together at East Baptist Church, where they were both active as youth and later as youth leaders and where Nancy would later play the piano for many years. Charles and Nancy wed in 1963, going on to have two daughters, Charra and Ginger, who completed their “Core Four” or “Charlie’s Angels” as dad affectionately called them.
In addition to teaching, Nancy was involved in many extracurricular activities at her high school, co-sponsoring the cheerleaders, coed-y, and academic team. She also directed numerous senior plays at Heath High School in addition to acting in several plays at the Market House Theater.
Nancy always had a sense of adventure. In her younger years, Nancy was an avid water skier and loved nothing more than fishing for crappie and blue gill with her father at Kentucky Lake. For her 70th birthday, Nancy went parasailing with her grandkids in Florida, for her 75th she floated Current River on innertubes with her kids, grandkids, and grand dogs and for her 80th she went boating at Kentucky Lake.
Nancy was a very practical person. When her husband Charles earned his private pilot’s license, she asked one day on a flight what would happen if he had a heart attack while flying her and the girls somewhere? Not liking his response, she earned her own private pilot’s license, so she could be his co-pilot, acing ground school and accruing 50+ solo hours. She especially loved using her knowledge of flying to enrich her classrooms with real life uses of geometry and trigonometry.
Above all, Nancy, was a person who loved deeply, unreservedly, and unconditionally. She was a wonderful listener and a graceful conversationalist who really cared about her friends, family, and students, always taking the time to really connect. She had the ability to focus on one person so completely that you felt ridiculously special when it was you she was engaging, and a tiny bit jealous when it wasn’t.
Nancy believed that life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but the number of moments that take your breath away.
Nancy was predeceased by her parents, Ophie and Ed. She is survived by her husband of almost 60 years, Charles William Reeves, and daughters, Charra Sweeney-Reeves (Mary Sweeney-Reeves) of Savannah, Georgia, and Ginger Reeves Feather (David Feather) of Overland Park, Kansas. She is survived by three sisters: Dixie Johnson, Sherry Stuart, and Mitzi Richardson. She is also survived by four grandchildren: Alec Feather, Kyle Feather, Eli Feather, and Avery Feather.
Funeral services will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, October 20, 2023 at Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah with Rev. Michael Wooley officiating. Burial will follow at McKendree Church Cemetery. Mom’s favorite color was blue, so please wear something blue in her honor.
Visitation will be held from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at Milner & Orr Funeral Home of Paducah.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 501 St. Jude Place. Memphis, Tennessee. 38015.
You may leave a message for the family or light a candle at www.milnerandorr.com.
