Obituary of Nancy Jo Carter Murphy

Nancy Jo Carter Murphy was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi on September 26, 1948 and passed away July 25th, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Nancy grew up in Hattiesburg, where her family and parents, George and Dorothy Carter, were pillars of the community. Nancy grew up being very close to her family and first cousins as her mother was one of eight siblings.
She was extremely outgoing and athletic, participating in horseback riding, swimming, gymnastics and cheerleading. Nancy was also a well-known counselor at Camp Dantzler outside of Hattiesburg that her mother helped run. Nancy participated in debutante and ICH. She graduated from Hattiesburg High School and attended college at the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee. Nancy was a member of the Phi Mu Sorority in college and won numerous beauty pageants and was a college cheerleader. After obtaining her Masters from the University of Tennessee, Nancy worked as an airline stewardess for Delta airlines.
Eventually, Nancy was transferred to Austin, Texas for work and continued working as a stewardess and also spent time working as a pharmaceutical sales representative and an interior designer. Most of Nancy’s career was spent teaching middle school through college level art and English courses in Houston, Texas. She won numerous awards for her students’ artwork and her involvement in bringing recognition to the Houston school districts in which she worked. Nancy was a gifted artist herself and often made her own jewelry. While in Houston, Nancy was an enthusiastic volunteer for the Junior League of Houston, the Cattle Barons Ball, Houston Zoo Friends and the Houston Alumni Chapter of the Phi Mu sorority.
More than anything Nancy loved people and will be most remembered for her outgoing and friendly nature.  She was a true southern belle. Nancy loved finding the connections between people and was extremely devoted to her family and friends. She loved bright colors, any excuse to have a party and was the first to volunteer when she felt her friends or family were in need. She loved Elvis, anything on the British Broadcasting Network, and spending time with her church communities at Second Baptist Church and St. Luke’s United Methodist Church.
Nancy is survived by her children, daughter Melissa Caroline Murphy of Houston, Texas and her son John Robert Murphy, III of Richmond, Texas, brother George Carter of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, sister Adrienne Carter of Austin, Texas and sister Dorothy Anne Cook of Andalusia, Alabama along with many nieces, nephews and cousins. She will be greeted at the gates of Heaven by her parents, George and Dorothy Carter.
Services for Nancy will be held on Saturday, July 29th, 2017 at 11:00 in the morning at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Houston, Texas. An additional service will be held at Main Street Methodist Church in Hattiesburg, Mississippi on August 5th, 2017.  Charitable donations may be made to The Arthritis Foundation, The Mayo Clinic for Pulmonary Clinical Research, or to The Texas Prison Ministry.