Nancy Fisher McIver

Nancy Fisher McIver, 93, passed away in the presence of her loving family on 09/04/2021 at her home in Alexandria, Virginia. She was pre-deceased by her first husband, Robert P. Fisher, her second husband, Ernest D. McIver, and her sister Ann C. Grimes.

Nancy loved being around young people; she took care of children in the neighborhood for parents with busy work schedules and spent time teaching some to sew or build forts out of blankets and cardboard boxes. First and foremost, Nancy was a mother, and her nurturing manner was evident in everything she did.   

Nancy enjoyed the fellowship of others and loved to be involved with projects at the church. She organized a group of women who made heart pillows and small stuffed animals for patients at the local hospital. Table arrangements and centerpieces were one of Nancy’s specialties; her personal collection of baskets, vases, branches, and tree trunk sections were always ready to be deployed for special events. 

Nancy’s life was about caring for others and maintaining strong heartfelt relationships. Her wonderful life is measured by the number of people she loved and by the number of people who loved her.

Nancy Fisher McIver was born to Paul Price Purgitt and Bessie Sapp Purgitt on 05/07/1928 in Baltimore, Maryland. Nancy graduated from Eastern High School in 1946. She married Robert Pearce Fisher (“Bob”) in 1948, a U.S. Navy Seabee who had served in the South Pacific. Bob attended University of Maryland on the G.I. Bill graduating with a degree in Civil Engineering. The couple had two sons, Jeffrey Scott Fisher and Robert Pearce Fisher Jr.  After a few years Bob contracted Polio and spent over a year in an Iron Lung. He was left paralyzed and with limited breathing capacity. During Bob’s remaining years he and Nancy raised their sons and maintained a loving home with the help of family, church, friends, and The March of Dimes.

In 1971, Nancy married Ernest Dill McIver and relocated to Alexandria, Virginia. Ernest, a widower himself, had two daughters: Susan Frances McIver and Jane Craker McIver. Nancy became a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church and went to work for the Alexandria Public School System. Nancy and Ernest built and maintained a cabin at Windmill Point on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Rappahannock River. For more than 30 years, that cabin was a great source of enjoyment, relaxation, and happy memories with children, grandchildren, and friends.

Nancy is survived by her sons, Jeffrey S. Fisher (Patricia), and Robert P. Fisher (Catherine); stepdaughters, Susan F. McIver and Jane C. McIver; brother-in-law, James R. Grimes; grandchildren, Scott (Michele) and Kimberly (Robert); step-grandchildren, Courtney and Geoffrey; great-grandchildren, Evan and Colton; step-great-grandchildren, Brayden, Brooke, Macon, Zachary, Lillian, Maximus and Leo; nieces, Mary Claire, Liz and Nancy; grandnephew Charlie; and her dear friend Barbara who was a constant support during her final years.

A memorial service will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 2701 Cameron Mills Rd, Alexandria, VA 22042 at 11:00 AM on September 30, 2021. A live stream of the service is available at: https://wpc-alex.org/nancy-mciver-memorial-service/.

Compassionate care was provided to Nancy and her family in her final weeks. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial donation to Capital Caring Health, Philanthropy, 3180 Fairfax Park Dr, Suite 500, Falls Church, VA 22042.

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