Nancy Marie Harris Kiser

Nancy Marie Harris Kiser, age 78, of Watkinsville Georgia, passed away peacefully Friday, February 4, 2022. Born on April 13, 1943 in her beloved town of Athens, she was the eldest daughter of the late Dr. Herschel and Marguerite Kolb Harris. Over the years the family welcomed three more daughters: Connie, Mary and Missy. Some of Nancy’s fondest memories were with her little sisters during summers spent at the family’s cabin in North Georgia. It was there that her heart was captured by the mountains, and they became a place of solace throughout her life. Those trips also fostered a love of the water, which was reinforced by her many adventures at Athens “Y” camp, her home away from home.

Nancy attended Athens High, and there she met Paul Jackson “Jack” Kiser, Jr. Nancy was quickly smitten with Jack’s dark looks and tall stature and the two became high school sweethearts. Jack and Nancy wed on April 6th, 1963, with Nancy wearing a beautiful blue silk suit-dress and an antique lace veil. When Jack passed away in 2019, they had been married for 56 years.

Nancy studied at the University of Georgia, where she and Jack lived on campus in an apartment built for married couples. She loved the atmosphere of UGA and later in life still enjoyed roaming through the campus grounds. Always the fervent reader and a stickler for grammar, Nancy graduated with a degree in English and early childhood education.

Nancy and Jack had their first child, Marguerite (Meg), in March of 1966, and then welcomed Herschel (Jake), Matthew, and Katherine, all roughly four years apart. Nancy concentrated on motherhood until her last child was in primary school, and then began teaching kindergarten at Oconee County Primary School. Always curious about the world and other cultures, she decided to go to night school to get her ESL (English as a second language) certification. She was offered an ESL teaching position at Oconee County High School, and here she truly found her career calling. Nancy adored her international students and devoted herself to making them feel welcome and comfortable.

During these years, Nancy proved herself to be quite the multifaceted maverick. She could make anything with duct tape and cardboard, and her ingenuity was enthusiastically deployed to create sets and props for a slew of local productions. She played piano at school and library functions. Her imagination and creativity knew no bounds: Nancy used her flair for cooking to cater for functions, worked as a florist, and was an avid volunteer with the Athens Puppet Theater Company.

Nancy will be remembered for her many talents, but many will remember her for her outgoing nature and her ability to make a friend wherever she went. A true extrovert, she found people fascinating, and her wicked, dry sense of humor and clever mind never failed to charm.

Nancy's retirement provided the opportunity to see the world, and on two occasions she found herself, quite literally, on the other side of it, when she visited her daughter Katherine in Australia. Nancy was immediately taken with Australia, where she was enthralled with the wildlife, the people, and the food. Back home, she could often be found pottering around her Watkinsville house with her beloved birds or dogs or reading through one of her many stacks of books. She played piano beautifully by ear, and was extremely fond of movie scores and pieces written in minor keys. A hardcore art supplies addict, she loved making jewellery and enjoyed crafting of any kind, especially if it involved a hot glue gun.

Nancy's final years were not easy, with the deterioration of her physical health preventing so much of what her eager mind never stopped yearning for. But when crafting amazing things, making beautiful music, and ascending majestic mountains all became out of her reach, Nancy could rest, blanketed in the warm patchwork quilt of memories of an amazing life.

Survivors include her four children: Meg (Abe) Abouhamdan of Watkinsville, Jake (Michelle) Kiser of Athens, Matt (Eve) Kiser of Liverpool, England and Katherine (Nolan) Wynne of Brisbane, and six grandchildren: Zach, Abbie, Noah, Ella, Bonnie, and Miles.

A graveside service will be held on Saturday, 19th of February 2022 at 11:00 at Oconee Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Dee’s Haven Parrot Rescue or Athens Oconee CASA Program.

Lord and Stephens Funeral Home, WEST, 1211 Jimmy Daniel Road, Watkinsville, GA is in charge of arrangements.