Nancy Nelson O'Neill

On May 13th, 2025, at age 75, Nancy Nelson O’Neill peacefully passed away of natural causes at Piedmont hospital. She passed in the loving embrace of her husband of 53 years, Dan, and their two daughters, Robin and Amy, as Nancy listened to her favorite music.

Born in New Orleans to Helen (“Petie”) and Rowland (“Chief”) Nelson, Nancy grew up alongside her siblings, Rosemary, Harry and Joe. Even as a child, Nancy’s feminism was evident: she loved to play the same games as the neighborhood boys. At Mount Carmel Academy, Nancy excelled in school and grew in her Catholic faith. In college at LSU-NO, Nancy earned a degree in math education. She also met her future husband, Dan, when they both (as leaders of their churches’ folk music groups) were tasked with leading a youth service. Nancy and Dan shared a strong faith, and that provided a firm foundation for the rest of their lives together. 

As a young married couple, Nancy and Dan grew their careers. For four years, they lived in Boston, where Nancy worked in insurance as an actuarial data analyst and Dan did his graduate work at MIT. Then they moved to Atlanta, where Nancy continued in insurance and Dan taught at Georgia Tech and later worked in utility consulting. 

With the births of Robin and Amy, Nancy dedicated herself to homemaking and volunteering. She gave enormous amounts of love and attention to Robin and Amy. At the Cathedral of Christ the King, Nancy served as an adult enrichment instructor, facilitated R.C.I.A. and co-founded the Cathedral’s Stephen Ministry program. In 1991, Nancy earned her Master’s in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University’s distance learning program, and in 1993 she completed training in Clinical Pastoral Education at Atlanta-area hospital units. Nancy then worked as a case worker at the St. Vincent de Paul Society. She also volunteered as a spiritual director at Ignatius House, a Jesuit retreat center.

When Robin and Amy were in their late teens, Nancy earned a master’s degree in physical therapy, became adept at manual therapy and eased the pain of countless patients. 

In her retired years, Nancy loved spending time with her daughters; her sons-in-law, Neale and Nick; and her granddaughters, Vee, Caroline, Ellie, Janie, and Reese. Nancy’s childlike playfulness and ability to make any situation fun were treasured by all. Dan and Nancy enjoyed travelling together; going on sea cruises; visiting cathedrals in Europe; and seeing the autumn leaves in Highlands, North Carolina. 

While over the years, Nancy soldiered through many health problems that increasingly limited her mobility, her spirit was always expansive, generous, loving, and full of dreams for her next adventure. She will be greatly missed as she begins her greatest adventure, and we are sure she will be watching over us as we strive to continue her legacy.  

A funeral mass will be held at the Catholic Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Saturday, June 14th at 4 pm followed immediately by a reception on church grounds. Free parking is available in the Underground Parking Deck at the corner of MLK Jr. Dr. and Central Ave.  Bring your ticket into the Church for validation.