February 19, 2001
Pastor's wife killed in auto crash
as he prepared for Valentine's Day
___By Mary Moreno
___Corpus Christi Caller-Times
___CORPUS CHRISTI--Pastor Sam Douglass wanted to surprise his wife on Valentine's Day. So on Feb. 8, he phoned to reserve a suite, order candy and flowers, all for a perfectly romantic evening.
___"Unbeknownst to me, she was dying," he said the next day as he choked back tears.
___Nancy Douglass was on her way home from Petronila Elementary School, where she taught fifth grade, when she was involved in a two-vehicle accident. The driver of a Ford truck ran a stop sign at the intersection, and Douglass' Jeep Cherokee collided with it, according to reports by the Texas Department of Public Safety. Douglass was not wearing a seatbelt.
___As her husband of 28 years organized what he hoped would be a memorable evening, Nancy Douglass was on an operating table at Christus Spohn Hospital Memorial.
___She died of internal injuries a few hours after the accident, according to the Nueces County Medical Examiner's Office.
___"She was my partner--a tremendous asset, a tremendous partner," said Douglass, senior pastor at Yorktown Baptist Church. "A minister needs a partner in ministry, and she was that to me. She was a strong support. She was a great pastor's wife."
___On Feb. 9, friends and family gathered at the couple's home in southern Corpus Christi, sharing stories of Nancy Douglass' dedication to her school, church and family. They smiled, laughed and cried.
___Mrs. Douglass was committed to her students beyond the classroom, arranging a trip to NASA for her students and helping the school get a playground.
___"She just went beyond the call of duty," said Susan Duke, a friend who attended their church.
___Mrs. Douglass was remembered as fun-loving, nurturing and caring. Her friends recalled a youth camp in New Mexico where she orchestrated a shaving cream and water showdown between the boys and girls.
___"She loved kids," said Jean Miller, Mrs. Douglass' sister-in-law. "She loved having a good time, and she loved kids having a good time."
___The Douglasses' adopted daughter, Elizabeth Furaha Kahindo, said Mrs. Douglass and her family always made her feel she belonged.
___Kahindo, a Del Mar College student, was adopted by the Douglass family about two years ago.
___"I was very overwhelmed by the love," she said. "She was very loving, very caring. There was nothing fake about her. She had a smile that made you feel welcomed."
___Mrs. Douglass also is survived by her three sons, Mark Douglass of Dallas, Scott Douglass of College Station and Tim Douglass of Corpus Christi; her father, Travis Nelson of College Station; and a brother, Barry Nelson of College Station.
___A memorial service was held at First Baptist Church Feb. 11, and then on Feb. 13, the day before what her husband had planned as a romantic outing, she was buried in New Baden.
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