Nannie “Nan” Thompson Brown, 86, of Graham County and the Snowbird Community, N.C., was reunited with her loving husband and welcomed into her heavenly home on Monday, June 8, 2026, surrounded by the love of her family. A native of Jackson County, North Carolina, Nan was born on Sept. 12, 1939 at her home in Cherokee, N.C. and spent her life serving others with kindness, faith, and unwavering devotion.
Nan was a beloved mother, wife, grandmother, sister, and friend who dedicated her life to caring for those around her. A woman of deep faith, Nan loved God with all her heart and desired for her children and grandchildren to know that same love and faith. She leaves behind a legacy of love, strength, and selflessness that will continue to guide future generations.
Nan retired from a long and fulfilling career in healthcare. A senior home health caregiver, she genuinely loved her work and the people she cared for. After retirement, her passion for serving others continued. As a fluent Cherokee speaker, she shared her knowledge and cultural heritage by teaching at the Snowbird Language Program, helping preserve and pass on the Cherokee language to future generations.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Jackson Thompson and Alice Wolfe Thompson; her husband, Mark Brown; her son, Clarence David Thompson; her grandson Andrew Aquilera; and all of her siblings.
Nan is survived by her daughter, Linda Kemp; her son, Will Tushka; her daughter, Mary Tushka; her grandchildren, Tamara, Sarah, and Victoria Thompson, Adrian “Bubba” Aquilera, Trajan, Krista, Alannah, Kevonna, Nevaeh, and Nashoba Tushka, and Edward Wood; along with many other cherished family members and friends.
The family will receive friends from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 11 at Crisp Funeral Home in Bryson City, N.C. Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 12 at the funeral home chapel, with burial to follow at New Hope Cemetery in Robbinsville, N.C.
Nan’s family will remember her for her loving heart, her strong faith, her devotion to family, and her efforts for preserving the Cherokee language and culture. Her memory will live on in the lives she touched and in the generations she helped nurture, teach, and inspire.