Wilmington, NC

Company Member since 1996

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Nancy Faye Craig began dance lessons at age 3 but stopped at 16 when her dance studio closed, and her teacher followed the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad’s relocation from Wilmington, NC, to Jacksonville, Florida, in 1960. However, in 1996, after Nancy Faye retired, she saw The Hi-Steppers performing at the Hilton Hotel and thought, “Hey, I can do that!” She joined the next week and is now the most tenured member of the troupe, having won over 21 gold medals at the Senior Games.

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In 1962, Nancy Faye was one of four seniors at New Hanover High School to receive scholarships from the Civitan Club. Wallace C. Murchison presented the awards on behalf of the scholarship committee, which included Dr. John T. Hoggard and Dr. James Tidler. Nancy Faye graduated from UNCW and completed her student teaching under Louise Turner, a former teacher at New Hanover High School. Miss Craig’s first solo teaching assignment was at Sunset Junior High while John T. Hoggard High School was still being built. For the next 29 years, she taught Algebra, Geometry, and Honors Geometry at John T. Hoggard High School. Miss Craig retired in 1996 and is still remembered by many as a favorite teacher. She enjoyed teaching, but she also enjoys retirement!

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Since retiring, she has enjoyed traveling around the world and volunteering—two activities that were impossible while teaching full-time. Favorite trips include visiting the Holy Land, Russia, Egypt, going on a photo safari in Kenya, and cruising to Antarctica. By combining travel and volunteering, Nancy Faye has been fortunate to participate in mission trips with Wrightsville United Methodist Church and other organizations, traveling to Sierra Leone to help rehabilitate a hospital that had been closed for ten years during the civil war. For nineteen years, she has traveled to St. Helena Island to restore and preserve historic Gullah homes, an essential part of the island's rich African-American culture. After two hurricanes, she has helped repair homes on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina and through the Appalachia Service Project after Hurricane Helene.

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Locally, she lends support as an avid community volunteer for a wide variety of organizations, including the NC Coastal Federation; Wrightsville Beach Museum; Wrightsville Beach Sea Turtle Project; NC State Senior Games; Brunswick County Senior Games; 5K Son Run with Wrightsville Beach Methodist Church; the Historic Landmark Commission; the Usher Corps at The Wilson Center; Kenan Auditorium at UNC-W; and Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts. Since 1996, she has organized the annual catered lunch for employees of the Wrightsville Beach Public Works Department. Nancy Faye was honored as Volunteer of the Year in 2003 by the town of Wrightsville Beach and in 2025 by Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts as the Longest Dancing Volunteer. In 2023, she received a Pelican Award from the NC Coastal Federation. “Nancy Faye’s exceptional contributions to our coast serve as a testament to the power of volunteerism and its capacity to create lasting change. Her passion, selflessness, and leadership inspire us all to take action and protect the natural treasures that grace our shores,” - NC Coastal Federation staff.

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Nancy Faye serves on the Board of the North Carolina Holiday Flotilla, is Vice-Chair of the Wrightsville Beach Historic Landmark Commission, is Treasurer of the Channel Walk Homeowners Association, and just completed her 19th season portraying Mrs. Claus at local events. Even when she’s not volunteering, Nancy Faye doesn’t like to sit still. She is a familiar sight around town, jogging or riding her bike daily. It is no surprise that she is listed as #41 on The 110 People, Places & Events That Shaped WB, “On Christmas of 1956, Santa brings Nancy Faye Craig her first bicycle.”

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“Serving others makes me realize how blessed I am.” Her advice for those looking to volunteer: “Get involved. Try to help others. Try to do something every day. “