Times Chronicle & Public Spirit
Hickman resident celebrates her 100th birthday
The Borough of West Chester proclaimed Nov. 16 as Myrtle Nash Day to mark the day Myrtle turned 100.
Lilian L. DeBaptiste, mayor of West Chester, said it was a day to honor Myrtle’s long, loving and successful life. Myrtle and her family celebrated with the staff and residents at a birthday party where Myrtle resides, the Hickman Friends Senior Community of West Chester.
Spending much of her youth in Greensboro, N.C., Myrtle then moved to Stamford, Conn., where she met the love of her life, Wilson Nash, through mutual friends.
The same mutual friends later introduced the couple to Civil Rights activist Rosa Parks. The couple was married in 1948 and raised one son, Kevin.
Hardworking Americans, Wilson and Myrtle had industrious and long-served careers. Wilson was a Navy veteran, with an honorable discharge, and worked in the shipping department as a painter for 40 years at American Cynamid in Stamford.
Myrtle was a beloved and loyal domestic worker to many families in the Connecticut area.
“She nurtured them for over 40 years and became a treasured member of their families,” her son, Kevin, said.
Myrtle was an awardwinning bowler, participating
in many tournaments across North America and Hawaii, with various leagues. She won many team and individual trophies, which are proudly displayed at The Hickman.
Myrtle loved to garden almost as much as she enjoyed being an active member of her church.
Kevin lived in the West Chester area at the time of his father’s passing in 1997. He encouraged his mom to live closer to his family in a senior care facility. Having professionally photographed The Hickman, he was familiar with the expert care and sincere companionship his mom would receive.
“(My mom) moved to the Hickman in June of 2001, and she made friends very easily there with residents, staff and members of the outside community,” Kevin said. “The Hickman felt like home.”
“And she loved the tunnel connecting the buildings,” he said, referring to the almost 100-year-old passage that some believe to be haunted.
The candlelit passageway was constructed to join the beloved 1896 Sharpless-Hall Building to the new Hickman building built circa 1930.
Myrtle is most proud of her family. Her grandson, Elan Nash, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2020. He is now a first lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps and will earn his wings after completing jet pilot training.
For the special occasion, friends and Myrtle’s son,
Kevin, and daughter-in-law, Randi, gathered for the celebration. DeBaptiste, issued a centenarian proclamation that was presented by Toni Kelly, executive director.
The Hickman Friends Senior Community of West Chester, founded in 1891,
is a nonprofit personal care community serving people of all races and faiths. Guided by the Quaker principles and traditions, the Hickman provides individualized care and assistance to older adults who seek a safe and affordable
living environment. Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion flows from our common Quaker identity and values. Friends believe that each human life is sacred-that there is an equal measure of the divine in every person.