Nancy Zins

It is with great joy, however intertwined with the deepest sense of a profound loss, that we celebrate the going home of Nancy Zins to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We who have been privileged to be a part of her life shall miss her dearly. Nancy embodied that rare gift of making all who met her feel special and loved. In addition, she lived out a wonderful example of being a consummate professional, a loving mother and homemaker as well as being the most precious gift to her husband. Excelling in her educational pursuits, after receiving her Master’s Degree, Nancy became the youngest female Dean of Freshman at Brown University. She gave up her pursuit of higher education upon getting married but not for long. Always willing to work and contribute she went back into full time work as Dean of students at Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts in order to help her husband gain a Master’s Degree.

After moving to Dallas, Texas for her husband’s seminary training Nancy found a new love for her talents. It would be in Dallas while serving first at Trinity Christian in Addison and then as the Principal of Scofield Christian School that Nancy would discover a cherished love for Christian Education. This would lead to a lifetime of impacting students, faculty, and parents involved in Christian Education.

After adopting three children while in Dallas, Nancy and family moved to Rutland, Vermont to serve with her husband in a local church. While in Rutland, Nancy blossomed into a wonderful mother, wife, homemaker and Bible teacher in their local church. Still in love with Christian education Nancy helped to form and became the first Head Master of the Rutland Area Christian School. With loving care this school grew from three grades to a K-12 Christian School which still serves the Rutland Region to this day. Nancy and her husband soon felt the call to leave Vermont. The children had grown and now Nancy threw herself into yet more Christian Education as Principal at Ad Fontes Academy in Centerville, Virginia and finally the Principal of Trinity Christian School in Fairfax, Virginia. Nancy retired from Trinity Christian as she and her husband moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. Always looking to serve, Nancy became enamored with the prospect of teaching English and taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the Chinese. Yes, another love developed and Nancy was hiking over to China every summer for three weeks to help out and teach at summer camps. The Chinese loved her and still do love her. Such was her gift to make everyone feel special no matter what language or culture. Full of life and energy Nancy was also involved with two book clubs, a garden club, and teaching water aerobics at the University YMCA. With a brilliant smile and a sense of love for all she met she dedicated herself to her classes at the “Y.” Four years ago Nancy was told she had cancer. She did not hesitate to seek the most advanced treatment. She was spared to be with us for these past four years. In the middle of her second stem cell transplant the Lord took her home while her loving family sang to her as she reached the end of her fight with cancer. We will miss her greatly. We will never be able to replace her. She holds high honor in the hearts of all who knew her. From teaching young ladies how to hold a “high tea” to teaching Chinese children the eternal value of knowing the Lord, Nancy was always kind hearted and full of love. Her battle with cancer was dignified and gracious befitting her character. She never gave up on herself or anyone else. Leaving behind her husband and three adult children, along with two brothers and three sisters, she passed with quiet repose as her angels attended her final graduation into her heavenly Father’s loving embrace. We could almost hear the welcome of “well done my good and faithful servant.” We celebrate a life well lived. A life un-forgettable. A very special life.

We will hold a memorial service for Nancy on Saturday April 8th at Westminster Presbyterian Church @ 1300 India Hook Rock Hill, S.C. 29732 It will begin at 1:00 p.m. We welcome all who knew her to come join us. It will be a celebration of her life and ministry. Our guest speaker will be Cecil Andrews from Belfast, Northern Ireland a dear friend of Nancy and her family. In lieu of flowers we ask that memorials and contributions be made to The Rutland Area Christian School (RACS) 112 Lincoln Avenue Rutland, Vermont 05701 in honor of their very first love.

Hartsell Funeral Home of Concord is serving the Zins family.