Nancy Claire Lawrence

Nancy Claire Lawrence, 81, was born on October 14, 1930 and passed away on August 9, 2012.Nancy was born at the Pure Oil Tank Farms in a home which was later moved to Nederland, where she grew up. She was the daughter of Rolland J. Lawrence and Sarah Veigh McFarland Lawrence. She was preceded in death by her parents and her two sisters, Mary Lou Decuir of Wildwood and Norma Jean Anderson of Beaumont.Nancy graduated from Nederland High School in 1947 and briefly attended Southwest Texas State University before striking out for Hollywood to pursue an acting career. She began behind the scenes typing scripts for Jack Benny and later garnered bit parts on stage and in early television shows including an episode in the first season of the Andy Griffith Show.She later studied comedy under Lucille Ball and was a production manager on the I Love Lucy Show, the highlights of which were being only steps offscreen during the filming of Lucy and Ethels famous chocolate factory scene and Lucys grape stomping episode: two of the most memorable moments in television history. Lucy and Nancy became friends and continued their correspondence for over 25 years, long after Nancy had to move back home for family reasons. Nancys career seemed on the rise as she was selected to perform with Bob Hope on a USO tour, however at the last minute her brotherinlaw contracted polio and Nancy had to return home to care for her sisters children while he underwent treatment.She never returned to Hollywood but continued her career at the famed Alley Theater in Houston where she starred in and ed many plays and taught acting classes for children. She also later started a childrens television show in Beaumont called Happy Hollow which later moved to KPRC syndication, but was edged out by Captain Kangaroo.In the 1970s, Nancy married Dr. Charles Gillespie and moved to Vincennes, Indiana where she taught acting at Vincennes University and ed local stage shows. Upon the dissolution of her marriage, Nancy returned to Nederland to care for her ailing father and enrolled in Lamar University to finish her degree in drama. While at Lamar she hosted a radio show called The Radio Vault on KVLU, an affiliate of National Public Radio. There she also taught English as a Second Language to Saudi Arabian students through a program sponsored by the Mobil Oil Corporation.Later, Nancy became the office coordinator for the African Violet Society, whose national headquarters are based in Beaumont. She moved on to become business manager, writer and photographer for POST Magazine which featured articles pertaining to the counties of Southeast Texas. Throughout her career, Nancy had been a writer, both professionally as well as for pleasure, authoring two childrens stories and two books on acting for kids and young adults.She was a highly respected lector at St. Charles Catholic Church in Nederland and a proud member of the Democratic Party, working diligently on campaigns at the local, state and national levels. During her later years, she was also called out of retirement to a play on Patsy Cline in Wimberly, TX which opened to great acclaim and of which she was extremely proud.However, of all the friends and connections Nancy made in her years of travel and time in the dramatic arts, it was in Indiana that she met the woman who would mark the most substantial and enduring relationship of her life. Jane Birge first met Nancy as she burst into an auditorium and announced I am Nancy Lawrence and I will be ing this play and immediately decided they were going to get along famously.In the ensuing 33 years Nancy served as a second mother to Janes two children, Amy and Nick and the pair worked together both at the African Violet Society as well as POST Magazine and were coowners of an amazingly unruly sausageshaped dog, Charlie, who lived with them in the home they shared in Beaumont.Nancy is survived by her life partner, Jane Birge Janes daughter Amy Birge and her husband, Robert Anu of Philadelphia Janes granddaughter, Jasmine, daughter of Janes deceased son Nick and his wife, Kimberly Guidry of Groves as well as Nancys nieces, Andrea Barnett of Dallas, and Cindi Battaglia and her husband, Phillip of Beaumont her nephews, Ronnie Anderson of Beaumont and Gary Fortenberry and his wife, Gail of Bellingham, WA. Nancy is also survived by her grandnieces and nephews: Hunter Barnett of Dallas, Phillip Battaglia of Houston, Meagan Noonan and Kristin Davis of Austin, Erin Fortenberry of Bellingham, WA, and Paige Harmon of Pittsburgh, PA.A memorial service for friends and family will be held on Monday, August 13, 2012 at 11:00 A.M. at Oak Bluff Memorial Park, 101 Block St., Port Neches, TX. Floral remembrances may be sent to Melancons Funeral Home in Nederland. Memorial donations may be made to the SPCA or the Democratic National Committee.