Nancy Virginia Yarbrough Donovan's Obituary
Nancy Virginia Yarbrough Donovan, age 86, of Memphis, passed away peacefully on the morning of August 29, 2023, surrounded by her family. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, daughter and friend.
Nancy was born February 6, 1937, in Noxapater, MS, to her parents Betty Merrill Filer Yarbrough and Robert William Yarbrough, Sr. She was the second child, and the sole female sibling of three beloved brothers. She was the “Meeny” of their “Eeeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe”, and treasured the close relationship she had with them her entire life.
Nancy attended Louisville High School, and matriculated to Methodist School of Nursing in Memphis, where she graduated in 1958. She met her future husband and the love of her life, Francis Daniel Donovan (“Frank”) while in Memphis, and the couple was married soon after.
Nancy was a Registered Nurse, and worked at Methodist Central Hospital during the time in which the first Intensive Care Unit was opened there. After taking time off to raise her children, she went on to work in the ICU of St. Francis Hospital for more than 20 years. She used her gifts and experience as a nurse while devoting countless hours to Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis, and traveling to Haiti multiple times with fellow parishioners of her church, Church of the Holy Spirit, to provide hands-on medical support.
Nancy enjoyed her life and her relationships to the fullest. She brought enthusiasm, energy, and a contagiously cheerful attitude to her endeavors and hobbies. Some of her fondest memories were of travelling with Frank on his frequent business trips. She was a gracious hostess and thoroughly loved entertaining and socializing, especially as part of a monthly dinner club with a close circle of friends. She enjoyed the festivities of Carnival Memphis in which she served as a Duchess in the Crew of Memphi, and was a member of Les Passees and Madonna Circle.
Nancy was well known for her gardening and cooking abilities, having inherited a “green thumb” and a love of cooking from her parents, who owned both a café and later a nursery in Louisville, MS. She took great satisfaction in preparing great meals for her three growing boys and Frank. She adored gardening and spent countless hours learning about and tending to her plants which were a wonder to behold, especially her beloved roses. She enjoyed many years of playing tennis at the Racquet Club and the University Club and counted her fellow tennis enthusiasts as dear friends.
Nancy cherished her friends and family and loved her boys fiercely. She remained involved in the lives of her brothers, children and grandchildren until her passing. She loved her husband, Frank, dearly and missed him each day since his passing in 2004. A quality that remained with Nancy throughout her entire life, including her final days, was her well-developed sense of humor and her gracious ability to show genuine interest in everyone she met. This was a gift that helped her to make new friends and enjoy meals and bridge games while living her last years at Trezevant Manor.
Nancy was preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Frank. She is survived by her children, Francis Daniel Donovan, Jr. (Catherine), Timothy Bohn Donovan, Sr. (Sharon), and Christopher Filer Donovan; her five grandchildren, Timothy Bohn Donovan, Jr. (Sydney), Katherine Donovan Dean (Luke), Luke Andrew Donovan, Sarah Catherine Donovan, and Francis Daniel Donovan, III; her brothers, Robert William Yarbrough, Jr., James Filer Yarbrough, and Daniel Eugene Yarbrough, Sr. (Peggy), and many nieces and nephews.
Visitation with family will be held at 10:00am on Saturday, September 9 at Church of the Holy Spirit in Memphis, a funeral mass at 11:00am, and reception immediately following.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Church Health or Haiti Medical Missions of Memphis.
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