Nancy Chavis

1937 – 2023

Hey Mom, I hope you don’t mind but we are re-writing your obituary. The one that you had written failed to mention your amazing qualities and talents. You were never very good at singing your own praises so we’ll do it for you. You were, and still are, important to so many, many people! Clearly we won’t be able to list all of your qualities but here is a list of some of your top Super Powers:

Artist, Designer, Baker and Chef, Supervisor, Coordinator, Nurse, Farmer, Friend, Life-long Learner, Teacher, Bibliophile, Supporter of the Arts, Libertarian, Mother/Daughter/Sister/Grandmother/Aunt/Wife/Great grandmother.

Yes, she was all those things! And yet if you had asked Nancy she would have said that her greatest accomplishment was in raising her children. She had an insatiable appetite for learning new things. From early childhood and throughout her life, she took every extracurricular class she could find; ballet, dance, sketching, painting, sewing, bewitchery, clay, leather-working, Shoshone-Paiute, Spanish, Mandarin Chinese languages, and astronomy just to name a few.

Nancy had a unique gift for looking at complete strangers and finding the best in them. She talked easily with anyone she met and used her magic to make them feel notied and special, this left her with many dear friends and many microfriends. She loved: going barefoot, feeding people and creatures, Paul Newman, debating politics, watching the stars, traveling, supervising anything and bragging about her kids. Her recurring dreams were of large rooms that needed to be decorated. Her purse was heavy because it contained prizes for children and treats for dogs. Nancy’s baked bread was heavenly, her laugh was quick, and she always had an opinion.

She had lived in Chicago, Salt Lake City, Pleasant Grove, Lake Valley, Pioche, Elko, and St George.

Nancy was preceded in death by husband James Milton Chavis, daughter Anna, and sister Melanie.

She is survived by siblings AnnJanette Carlson (Bob) and Kenneth George Larsen (Jill) and six children; James Marlan Chavis (Tracey), Crystel Chavis Montecinos (Marco), Marie Shelley (Mike), Erin Dawn Garrett (Dean), Sundee Meyer (Mark), Sterling Sisto Chavis (Kathy). Nancy was the very proud ‘MamaC of 17 Grandchildren and 27 Great Grandchildren.

Services will be held at The Church of Latter Day Saints in St. George, UT on November 11 at 11:00 AM (Foremaster Ridge Ward 912 South 1740 East St)

In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Autism Society in memory of Grandson Nyle Chavis Shelley at: www.autismsociety.org/ways-to-give or 800-328-8476.