Nancy Wagner Hammond

Nancy Wagner Hammond, 90, of Leeds, Alabama, passed away Thursday, May 25, 2023. She was preceded in death by her husband, David Earl Hammond; her mother, Hortense Wagner; her father, John C. Wagner, Sr. and her brother John C. Wagner, Jr. Nancy is survived by her son, David D. Hammond and his wife, Gigi, (grandchildren, Mallory and Mason) her son Scott Stuart Hammond and his wife Debra, (grandchildren, Jimmy and Jonathan) her daughter April Hammond Johnson and her husband Jeff, (granddaughter Haley) and her daughter Julie Hammond Johnson of Bell Buckle, Tennessee, (granddaughter Evelyn). Nancy also treasured her twelve great-grandchildren. She was a proud alumnus of Washington University in St. Louis.

Nancy was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri. After graduation from college, she married David Earl Hammond and moved from St. Lous to Detroit, Michigan, where Dave began his long career with Chevrolet and General Motors. GM moved Nancy, Dave and their growing family from Detroit to Atlanta to Conover, NC, to Charlotte, NC, until finally moving to Birmingham, where they decided the moving needed to stop. Birmingham would be home. After many years in Rocky Ridge, Dave and Nancy built their house in the country on Dunnavant Valley Road. They dug wells, put up fences, rode horses, and built barns. Some things went according to plan – some things did not, but they never lost their sense of humor and kept friends and family close.

In 1985, shortly after retiring from General Motors, Dave suddenly passed away. Nancy had to begin again. She started a new life—a courageous life of perseverance, self-awareness and fierce independence. Nancy had always been creative, so she painted, made incredible pottery and much-in-demand silver jewelry. She joined a gallery. She transformed her home into a quirky reflection of her unique joyful personality. Nancy and her friend Dot drove her red Corvette convertible across the country to Santa Fe, New Mexico, a haven for art and artists. Nancy fought breast cancer and won. She grew tomatoes, okra and cucumbers. She loved dogs and had more than you could count, from Great Danes to Irish Setters to her cherished sidekick, Bella. Most important to her, she saw her children and grandchildren almost every Sunday without fail. She did that. She made that happen. This gentle woman was a force.