Nan Dugas

Nan Gay Dugas, 67, a good hearted woman, passed away May 18, 2018.  She was born January 17, 1951 in St. Joseph, Missouri to William Robert and Cleta Dorothea Markt.  She is preceded by Robert “Bob” William Dugas, her good timin’ man of 32 years who passed away 2 years ago.

She is survived by her children, grandchildren and friends who love her dearly: Michael Robert (Nichole), Christopher William (Tracy), Alexandra Ann Silic (Alexander), Shane Markt (Lily), JJ, and Tyler.  She is also survived by her brother Robert Lloyd Markt and her sister Anna Etta Derr.

Nan graduated high school in ‘69 as valedictorian and then attended Northwest Missouri State at Maryville.  After graduating college, she left her home in Missouri and moved to Amarillo, Texas where her brother Bob was living with his wife Sherrill.  There she worked as a secretary for T Boone Pickens. Later, the American beauty queen left Texas and moved to Saudi Arabia, a place that we can safely say she utterly despised.  But, as fortune would have it, she met her soon to be husband Bob, a pilot for the Saudi royal family and sidiki distiller.

Saudi Arabia was not very kind to her or Bob, so they moved in ‘83 to the Florida Keys where she was safely able to ‘tame’ Bob.  While she was giving birth to and raising kids and working full time, Bob worked for Fernando Pruna in a South American import/export business.  Later, she ran a tropical fish business in Tavernier. The family moved to Ocala, Florida in ‘95 for a better place to raise kids. Nan became an avid Miami Dolphins and Gator football fan, as all 4 of her kids graduated from the University of Florida.

This all being said, the above picture doesn’t do justice to just how strong she was.  See, she actually survived a gunshot, worked more than full time to provide for her family, and survived years with advanced cancer.  Her kids could always trust her resolve, her love, and her gentle wisdom. She was the perfect complement to Bob, having a good time while keeping the family grounded and together.

We decided to make the services private in keeping with her wishes.  In lieu of flowers or Early Times and diet coke, just donate in her name to either UF Shands Cancer Center Fund or to Hospice of Marion County.