Nancy Black, a devoted mother, loving grandmother, proud great-grandmother, & lifelong passionate animal caretaker, passed away peacefully on April 30, 2026 at the age of 89.

She was born on September 16, 1936. The daughter of Roscoe Kinard & Goldie Hershey, she grew up in Martinsville, PA, surrounded with family. A graduate of Red Lion High School, she began her working career with one of the local Red Lion cigar factories, and subsequently continued on in factory work.

Nancy was married to Samuel Black for 27 years, and she devoted herself to caring for her family and their 3 children: Kevin Black, Cindy Myers (James), and Una Nelson (Timothy). She was a loving grandmother to 9 grandchildren: Melissa Black McShan (Kent), Courtney Myers Jones (Ryan), Kristin Myers Hutton (Jonathan), Amber Black, Jordan Nelson (Lauren), Jonathan Nelson (Kristin), Ryan Myers (Tasha), Eric Myers (Breanna), and Joseph Nelson (Josefa). Nancy was also blessed with 11 great-grandchildren: Avery & Keira McShan, Luke & Kaylin Jones, Benjamin Hutton, Eero & Meadow Thompson, Colton & Madilynn Myers, Ryan Neail, and Rosemary Nelson. Nancy was preceded in death by her longtime companion, Donald Snell.

Nancy lived a life filled with an avid, ongoing devotion to caring for animals, which she passed on to her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was known to take in most any stray that crossed her path. She once even flipped a car attempting to avoid a cat that ran in front of her. She provided loving homes to too many animals to count over the years and devoted her last independent years to diligently caring for several pets. In truth, her spirit was fueled and strengthened by caring for those around her, people and animals alike. What a joyous and bountiful reunion awaits her at the Rainbow Bridge.

Nancy fostered a lifelong love of reading and especially enjoyed delving into mystery novels. Agatha Christie, among others, held a special spot in her reading library. She could often be found with a book in hand, a mug of tea nearby, and a smile on her face. In addition to mystery novels, Nancy loved scary movies and shows, treating her children and grandchildren to them at every opportunity. Famous for her engaging sense of humor, she reveled in playing spooky tricks on her family and friends.

Nancy’s lifelong values of love, devotion, kindness, humor, curiosity, adventure, and enjoying all things “scary” will live on in the lives of those who were blessed to know her. She is survived by a multitude of family and friends who love her and will continue celebrating her enduring legacy. Her life is a testament to the power and strength of family, to the importance of caretaking for those in need of help, and to graceful resilience in the face of many difficult events. She bore a solid, unquestionable strength of resolve set through love, humor, and compassion that will forever be a guiding light for everyone whose lives she touched. Simply by example, she taught us the importance of placing family first; the joys of reading, curiosity and learning; the value of dedication and hard work; the value in giving our best at the moment; the sanctity of respect for all living things as well as for ourselves; and the joy to be found in living a life centered in love, laughter, and compassion. She was a gentle force, but a powerful one. And she is our foundation.

A private family celebration of Nancy’s life will be held and she will be buried in Mt. Rose Cemetery at 10 am on Friday, May 8, 2026. In lieu of flowers, donations might be made in Nancy’s memory to your favorite local library, animal shelter or rescue, food pantry, or old movie theater.