Malcolm Peters Nash, III

Malcolm “Skip” Peters Nash, III, 80, of High Point, died peacefully in his sleep on January 9, 2021 at Pennybyrn at Maryfield.

He was born December 22, 1940, in Brooklyn, New York, to the late Olive and Malcolm Nash, Jr. Skip graduated from Robert L. Simpson High School in Huntington, NY in 1958, and received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1962. In 1972, he graduated with a Master of Science in Management in Communications from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

Following in the footsteps of his grandfather who was a Merchant Marine, Skip served as an officer in the United States Navy for 21 years, achieving the rank of Commander. He was a patriot who often sang along with his eyes brimming with tears during the National Anthem. Known for his integrity and humorous motivational style of management, Skip’s Communications Department team on the USS Enterprise gifted him an engraved silver goblet from the “Comm Dept Taxpayers,” a written reminder they had been told by Skip that the pens they wrote with belonged to the “taxpayers.” 

In 1966, he married Patricia “Patsy” Gay of Jacksonville, Florida. Following their marriage and their honeymoon, Skip served in the I Corps Tactical Zone in South Vietnam. He served as an officer on the USS Jonas Ingram (1964-1966), USS Samuel N. Moore (1968-1969), and the USS Enterprise (1974-1976). He served at CINCPAC Fleet Pearl Harbor and two terms in Washington D.C. This past April, Patsy and Skip celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary.

Following his military retirement, Skip and Patricia moved to High Point to be close to her family. He went to work at Western Electric/Lucent Technologies as a project manager in the Federal Systems division. He was proud to be recognized with a Project Management Institute (PMI) certification. He worked at the Guilford Center in Greensboro for 16 years, retiring in September 1999. After his civilian career, Skip was an active member in the Furnitureland Rotary Club where he served over the years as a Board Member and Chair of the Rotary Club Auction. He received special recognition through awards such as Service Above Self and three Paul Harris Fellow medals. Skip was an avid lover of history and family heritage and was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). In his retirement, he enjoyed kayaking and hiking trips with the Piedmont Environmental Center, spending time at the ocean, body surfing at Holden Beach, and relished looking at the view of trees and mountains at the family’s cabin near Boone, NC.

Skip was an experienced hiker and loved being outside and observing nature. In 1990, with his brother Rob, Skip hiked the remaining peaks of the Adirondack mountains, becoming a member of the ADK 46er club. He enjoyed building model trains and ships, and collecting USPS stamps. He enjoyed learning trivia, and admired the artwork involved with philately.

Known for his upbeat and positive attitude, Skip was an extraordinary leader, excellent communicator, and loyal friend. He is remembered by his family as someone who loved being a dad and would offer pep talks and advice on any subject. He loved to travel and was always ready for an adventure, jumping at the chance to come visit, no matter where his daughters were living. One of his greatest characteristics was he would always find a way to enjoy the journey. Skip’s sense of humor could defuse any tense situation and would put others at ease.

A gifted athlete and known to relish competition, Skip was a state champion cross country runner and a catcher in baseball. He was a true sports enthusiast, never missing an opportunity to root for the Brooklyn Dodgers and San Francisco 49ers or attend a local baseball game. He read the sports column to his wife every morning hoping that she would be interested one day.

In addition to his wife, Patricia, he is survived by three daughters, Rebecca Nash and granddaughter Olivia Nash of Charlotte, Alison Nash and husband Shawn Reeves of Massachusetts, and Katie Nash of Wisconsin; brother, Robert Nash of California, his two children Jessica Kernion, her husband Dan, and their children Damon and Myra of Oregon, Jon Nash and his wife Melanie of California; and sister, Suzanne Borwick and husband Gene Borwick of Durham.

The family extends a special thanks to the health care teams at McEwen House at Pennybyrn  for their wonderful care over the past year. They extend appreciation to the Home Instead Team, especially Mary and Michael. Cumby Family Funeral Service in High Point is assisting the family with arrangements.

FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS

A virtual Celebration of Life will be held the afternoon of February 27 via livestream at wesleymemorial.org. 

Commander Nash will be buried with military honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

MEMORIALS

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to:  

Friends of Piedmont Environmental Center, 1220 Penny Road, High Point, NC 27265

Adirondack Mountain Club.  https://www.adk.org/support/donate/

Parkinson's Foundation. Link: https://secure3.convio.net/prkorg/site/SPageNavigator/2017_donate_form_2.html

Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church. Link: http://wesleymemorial.org/give/

CONDOLENCES

The family welcomes condolences online at www.cumbyfuneral.com.

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