On April 25, the gentle soul of Nancy Melville, 83, passed on to her reward surrounded by members of her loving family. Her family represented the core of her life's journey and she leaves behind her husband Jim, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren to mourn her passing.

Nancy was born April 20, 1942 in Smyrna to Edward and Agnes Boyles. She and her siblings lived in Smyrna until her graduation from John Bassett Moore High School in 1960. It was at high school that she met her future husband and they shared a strong bond for the next 65 years though the good times and hard times life brings. She was the rock that kept the family stable through the moves to different DuPont locations during Jim's career, including New York, Texas, New Jersey and their retirement home on Bryn Zion Rd near Kenton, Delaware.

In addition to her husband, Jim Melville, she leaves a daughter Kathryn Donohue in Virginia and a son Michael in Newark Delaware. Another son, Greg, was lost in a 1988 automobile accident. Kathy's husband Steve and Mike's wife Katie were loved and cherished as her own. The grandchildren and great grandchildren from those marriages were her absolute delights.

Kathy and Steve have two sons, Kyle and Josh, and two grand-children. Kyle and his wife Monica have daughters Audrey and Molly. Josh is a stage actor and any play he is in was a must see for his grandmother.

Mike and Katie's children, Tim and Sarah, are both local to the Clayton area and gave Nancy 4 great grandchildren between them. Tim and wife Samantha had her great grandson Micah and Sarah and her husband Bryan Porter added 3 more great granddaughters, Kinsley, Lilly and Marleigh. A great collection for her to gush over.

In addition to the immediate family, Nancy also leaves a sister Carol Timmons of Smyrna and a brother Bill Boyles of Ocean View. Her cousin, Louise Hudson of Smyrna was also a beloved relative. Other close friends included the Main Street Gang - an informal group of women that grew up together in town, including Carol Davis of Blackiston who she started first grade with and hung together with until now.

Her busy life was rounded out by memberships with other political and service groups until her Parkinson's curtailed such activity.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 am Friday May 2 at St Polycarp Catholic Church, 55 Ransom Lane, Smyrna. A visitation will be held from 7-9 pm Thursday May 1 at Matthews-Bryson Funeral Home, 123 W. Commerce St., Smyrna. Burial will be in Odd Fellows Cemetery, Smyrna, DE.

To sign the online guestbook, please click the tab marked "Guestbook".

Arrangements are by Matthews Bryson Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Smyrna.