GREENWOOD - Nancy L. Wink peacefully went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019 at her home.
Nancy was born in Westover, Md., daughter of the late Roy Ring and Lura (Mama Lu Wingate) Ring. The eldest of three children (R.J. Ring, Jr. and Julia (Ring) Mills), Nancy grew up on a farm along the winding back-creek, in a home called Arlington, which is now listed on the National Registry of historical homes in Somerset County, Maryland. Growing up, the family had a beloved horse, who she admitted she fervently disliked and always wished was a bike. Those who were lucky enough to know Nancy well knew she had an endearing personality that laughed and reminisced about memories such as these.
When Nancy was 16, she set her eyes on young love and decided to marry, only if her suitor, Robert "Bob" Wink, agreed to settle on living in one place-a compromise in comparison to the long days he was accustomed to working as he traveled for ACME markets. An easy decision for Bob, the two married in 1949 and moved to Milford, where they welcomed three children, Gary, Terry and Gerry, respectively.
Never one to sit idly, Nancy worked several jobs-one for a local florist, another as a dental assistant in Dr. Kimmel's Milford practice; and, the most notable however, was the partnership she shared with her husband in the Bonanza restaurant the two opened in 1986. With the help of their sons, Gerry and Terry, who managed the restaurant, and their son Gary, who assisted in the construction of it, the family defined what it meant to work hard and be a model for those around them. As the business grew across states, for Nancy, even Mother's Day was spent happily working in the restaurant alongside her family, who was her pride and utmost joy.
Through the same level of dedication she demonstrated in her work, Nancy exhibited an unparalleled devotion to her job as a wife, mother, grandmother, and friend to her family and each person she met. Her life existed, and was dedicated to benefiting others, with a compassionate heart of understanding, a humbled kindness, and a love that surpassed the boundaries of blood shared by family, reaching every person with the same tenderness. For Nancy, there was not a soul who was a stranger, and not a person who walked away from her forgetting the twinkle of her squinty eyes as she smiled, the warmth of her affection, and the embrace of her small, but comforting arms. Nancy's life was a life spent giving beyond compare, and in this way, she and Bob's legacies live on as a reminder of the same unconditional love and generosity of their Lord and Savior, who they spent their days aiming to model.
Nancy was a woman of action, humbling herself daily and making sure God heard the prayers of her loved ones, even when they didn't share them with Him themselves. She was always on the go, spending her later years traveling with Bob, visiting with family and friends, shopping for shoes, and relaxing in front of the TV with her late dogs, Muffin, and Gidget. Most recently, however, her beloved dog, Obi, who having kept her company prior to, and since the passing of Bob in July of 2018, remained by her side until she left us to meet her sweetheart again in Heaven.
In addition to her husband and parents, Nancy was preceded in death by a brother, R.J. Ring, Jr.; three brothers-in-law, Bill Simpkins of Mt. Vernon Md., Bobby Cordrey of Greenwood, and John Mills of Laurel; and a grandson, Brian Wink of Princess Anne, Md.
She is survived by her loving sons and daughters-in-law, Gary Wink and Carol of Princess Anne, Md., Terry Wink and Marianne of Lincoln, and Gerry Wink and Sharon of Greenwood; ten grandchildren; sixteen great-grandchildren; a special sister, Julia Mills of Laurel; and a sister-in-law, Lois Simpkins of Seaford.
A funeral service will be held Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2019 at 1:30 p.m. at Crossroad Community Church, 20684 State Forest Road, Georgetown, DE 19947 with a time of visitation from 12 noon until 1:30 p.m. Burial will be held privately at St. Johnstown Cemetery in Greenwood.
Arrangements in the care of Berry-Short Funeral Home, Milford, DE.