Nancy Lillian Harlin, 77

Nancy Lillian Harlin, 77, of West Plains, died at 4:30 a.m., Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, at NHC HealthCare in West Plains. There is no service planned at this time. If at a later time there is a celebration of life planned, an announcement will be made on the social media pages of her family.  

She was born Jan. 20, 1947, in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, to Alfred Cormier and Florence LaBlanc Cormier. 

Nancy moved to Los Angeles in the late ‘60s as a member of the band, "The Rain People." She married Robert Lewis in 1971 in Los Angeles, and they had one daughter, Mariah. In 1981, she married Mike Harlin at Dawt Mill. 

Nancy graduated from Southwest Missouri State University (now known as Missouri State University) in Springfield with a Bachelor of Science in Art Education in 1988. 

She enjoyed playing guitar and singing. Her passion was doing artwork of any variety, but she especially loved working with colored pencils; she taught art in public schools for 17 years in Missouri and Arizona. In 2000, she had a piece of her artwork chosen by the Canadian Wildlife Conservation in the Provence of Manitoba. Nancy was president of the Colored Pencil Society in Arizona and served on the Museum and Cultural Advisory Board in Mesa, Arizona. She also served as a judge for the Arizona Federal Junior Duck Stamp Competition. She did a piece of artwork for the Arizona Game and Fish Department for their Black-footed Ferret Project. 

Nancy retired from teaching in May 2011, in Seligman, Arizona. After retiring, she returned to West Plains, to be closer to her family. Mrs. Harlin was of the Catholic faith.

She is survived by one daughter, Mariah Young and husband Bradley; one grandson, Logan Young and fiancé Madison; one great-grandchild, Harley Young; one sister, Carol Cormier; one nephew, Eric Cormier; and one sister-in-law, Pam Cormier. 

Her parents and two brothers, Steven and Kevin Cormier, preceded her in death.  

Arrangements under the direction of Robertson-Drago Funeral Home. Online condolences may be left at www.robertsondrago.com.