Nancy Joy Ellison Kinsey, age 75, a resident of Irving since 1967, a lifetime educator and administrator, died unexpectedly Sunday, August 2, 2020 at her home. Born December 24, 1944 at Fort Hood near Temple, Texas, she was the first of four children born to the late Clay Maxwell Ellison and Ruth Marie Webb Ellison. Nancy grew up and spent her school years in Tyler, Texas. She graduated from John Tyler High School. She initially started college at the University of Texas in Austin, and later moved to Irving. She earned her M.A. from the University of Texas at Arlington in English Language and Literature. She had a life-long career as a teacher, educator and college administrator. She worked at the University of Texas in Arlington for many years and was Professor of English as a Second Language at Brookhaven College for over 20 years. She had a satisfying and rewarding career until her retirement. Nancy loved spending time with family and friends. As a single mother, she spent most of her extra time taking care of her children, Robert and Lacy. She also loved being with and spent many years caring for her granddaughter, Kaylee Faye Kinsey, in Irving. In college and afterwards she enjoyed playing bridge and was very good at it. She was an avid reader and excelled at writing and the English language. Nancy was a lifelong Democrat, who supported women and Democratic candidates in Texas. She loved to travel and visit friends and relatives, until her health made it more difficult to do so in recent years. She attended every family wedding and birthday event that she could. Having lost her parents as a young adult, she was the heart and historian of the family. Nancy knew and remembered everything about their immediate and extended families and had such good stories to tell. Most of the time, there was a lot of humor involved. Everyone who knew her will sorely miss her. The family is grateful and blessed to have been a part of her life. Survivors include her children, Lacy K. Kinsey and Robert K. Kinsey both of Irving, Texas; a granddaughter, Kaylee F. Kinsey of Irving, TX; siblings, Glenn Edward Ellison and wife Lynn of Houston, TX, Gary E. Ellison and wife Nancy of Houston, TX, and Rita Ellison Johnston and husband Ken of Georgetown, TX.; many cousins, nephews and nieces, and their children, that reside in Texas, Tennessee, Missouri and Illinois. Funeral services were 11:00 a.m. Saturday, August 8, 2020 at Donnelly's Colonial Funeral Home Chapel, 606 West Airport Freeway in Irving. Burial will follow at Rolling Oaks Memorial Center, 400 Freeport Parkway in Coppell. The service was live-streamed. There were some technical difficulties with the live-stream, but a video recording will be added to this obituary so that you may watch the complete service The recording of the service can be found here: . There were copyright issues with YouTube, so two songs in the video are muted. SERVICES Funeral Service

Saturday, August 08, 2020 11:00 AM

Donnelly's Colonial Funeral Home Chapel 606 West Airport Freeway Irving, TX 75062

Committal Service

Saturday, August 08, 2020

Rolling Oaks Memorial Center 400 Freeport Parkway Coppell, TX 75019