Nancy Carol McManus

Nancy “Carol” McManus of Cornelia, Georgia, passed away peacefully on November 18, 2025, surrounded by her children. Until the very end, Carol embodied the qualities that defined her life: unwavering faith, kindness, grace, compassion, appreciation of beauty, and a deep love for her family and friends. She expressed profound gratitude for her long and rich life, filled with meaningful work, lifelong learning, and experiences that shaped the remarkable woman she was.

Carol was born on February 25, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia, to the late William and Jessica McDonald. A 1962 graduate of Southwest High School in Atlanta, she was a gifted student who served proudly as a majorette in the school band and played the piccolo in the concert band. Carol earned a full scholarship to St. Joseph’s Infirmary School of Nursing in Atlanta, where she also met her husband, John G. McManus. The two married in October 1965, beginning a lifetime of adventure as John became a U.S. Army officer. Together, they traveled across the country, making homes in Maryland, Colorado, Texas, and Hawaii as they built a life filled with love, service, and shared experiences.

Carol’s passion for learning and teaching guided her entire life. She continued her nursing education at the University of Hawaii and later earned both her BSN and Family Nurse Practitioner degrees from Brenau University. She pursued further graduate study at Clemson University, receiving a master’s degree in Family Health Nursing with concentrations in nursing administration and gerontology. Where Carol truly shined, however, was in teaching. She served on faculty at Brenau University and became the founding program director of the Associate Degree Nursing program at North Georgia Technical College in Clarkesville, where she wrote the first curriculum and shaped the program from the ground up. She influenced countless nursing students with her high standards, deep knowledge, and genuine encouragement. Even in retirement, when asked if she missed nursing, she always answered with a resounding “yes,” saying she would still be in the ER caring for patients if her body had allowed it.

Carol was the devoted wife of the late LTC (Ret.) John G. McManus of Binghamton, NY, for 30 years. She was a fiercely dedicated mother to her four children and a loving grandmother (“Mims”) to her seven grandchildren. She was known for her warm embraces, her generous heart, and her unwavering kindness. Carol found joy in so many aspects of life whether cheering on her beloved Clemson Tigers, losing herself in books upon books as a lifelong, voracious reader, or expressing her creativity through painting. She especially loved capturing scenes of the Georgia coast and creating portrait paintings, with one of her finest pieces being a cherished portrait of her mother. She was also an avid golfer and, in her earlier years, enjoyed playing tennis; of all her pastimes, golf was the one she missed most as she aged. Carol’s love of music filled her home and her days, with Rod Stewart and Neil Diamond among her very favorite artists. She continued to serve others in remarkable ways, even later in life most notably during the COVID pandemic, when she lovingly sewed hundreds of masks for frontline healthcare workers across the community. Carol poured her time and talents into others, always giving more than she received, and her quiet acts of generosity left an enduring impact on all who knew her.

Carol embraced the Catholic faith as an adult and lived it with deep devotion, humility, and strength. Even during her illness, she found comfort in the loving support of St. Mark’s Catholic Church, whose members visited her at home and brought her Holy Communion. Her faith sustained her, guided her actions, and shaped her legacy.

Carol was an avid volunteer at St. Mark’s Church, serving as a lector, teaching catechism classes, making prayer shawls, and participating on the parish council and numerous committees. She also volunteered as an advocate for nurses facing substance use disorder, offering compassionate support rooted in her love for the profession. She served as a Girl Scout and Scout den mother, participated in numerous civic and community organizations, and shared her exceptional talents as a master seamstress sewing clothing for her children, prom dresses, wedding veils, and lovingly creating christening gowns for all seven of her grandchildren.

Carol lived her life with a rare blend of strength, gentleness, and unwavering purpose. She met every season of her life with gratitude, faith, and quiet determination that inspired everyone around her. She was a woman of immense heart, steadfast in her values, generous with her time, and deeply committed to lifting others through kindness and service. Whether she was caring for patients in moments of crisis, guiding nursing students toward their calling, stitching love into every garment she created, or offering wisdom and warmth to her family, Carol gave fully and without hesitation. Her life was a testament to devotion: to her faith, her family, her work, and her community. To know her was to feel seen, supported, and deeply loved. Her legacy will live on in the countless lives she touched and in the enduring example she set of courage, compassion, and grace.

Carol is preceded in death by her parents, William and Jessica McDonald, and her brother, Joseph McDonald. She is survived by her devoted sister and brother-in-law, Deborah and Gary Henderson, who were not only family but constant companions and an extraordinary source of love and support throughout her life. Carol is also survived by her four children: John G. McManus Jr. (Laura Cavazos) and their children Aedan and Aoife of Evans, GA; Anne Marie Wingate and her children Carlin and Alton of Cornelia, GA; Catherine Erin Mundy (Chris Mundy) and their son Davis of Flowery Branch, GA; and Mary Beth Snelson (Trey Snelson) and their children Parker and Alice of Hoschton, GA. Her children and grandchildren were her greatest joy, and each carried a special place in her heart.

Family and friends are invited to attend a Mass and celebration of Carol’s life at St. Mark’s Catholic Church in Clarkesville, Georgia, on Sunday, November 30, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. Following the Mass, the family will receive visitors in the church hall at St. Mark’s from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. A private family burial will be held on Saturday, December 13, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at Walnut Fork Cemetery in Braselton, Georgia. In lieu of flowers, Carol requested that donations be made to St. Mark’s Catholic Church in her memory.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, North Chapel at 245 Central Avenue, Demorest, Georgia 30535. Telephone: 706-778-1700.