Gail Annette Nolen

Gail Briggs Nolen, age 68 of Whittier, NC went home to be with the Lord on Thursday, January 15, 2015. She was the daughter of the late Evart and Gladys Robertson Briggs. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Sylva, NC. She was a member of the Board of Directors of Catch the Spirit of Appalachia, a non-profit organization whose vision is to encourage youth to cherish their heritage & creativity and inspire connections with all cultures. Situated in Jackson County in Western North Carolina, CSA's mission is "Planting the Seeds of Heritage through the Arts." She also was a member of the North Brevard Historical Society whose latest project was renovation and landscaping of the Pritchard House in Titusville, Florida, built in 1891, which now serves at a Living History House Museum. The Pritchard House is listed in the U.S National Register of Historic Places. Among her writing accomplishments was the book Memories of Merritt Island, a history of her family in Florida prior to their being displaced due to the expansion of Kennedy Space Center, and two children's books, Johnny, My Favorite Mouse, and The Bouncing Soccer Ball, each written about her sons. Gail was survived by two sons, Christopher Nolen of Atlanta, GA and Robert Andrew Nolen and wife Teresa of Valencia, Spain; one grandchild Nikolas Henry Nolen; one brother Leslie Briggs and three sisters Shirley Briggs, Celia Marceau and Barbara Paugh. A memorial service will be held Monday, January 19, 2015 at 2:00 pm at the First Baptist Church in Sylva, NC with Rev. Jeff Mathis officiating. The family will receive friends from 12:30-2:00 pm prior to the service. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to Catch the Spirit of Appalachia.