Nathalie Adams Dearing was born in 1942 in Gorgas, Alabama (Walker County). She grew up surrounded by a bevy of cousins and close family, as her mother, Bondell Brooks Adams, came from a large family. Nathalie’s father, Daniel Adams, was one of her favorite people—so much so that she named her son Daniel Dearing after him. According to her, they shared the “funny gene.”

Nathalie graduated with honors from Martin High School in Walker County. She went on to graduate from Birmingham-Southern College and completed some graduate work at the University of Montevallo.

She met Melton E. Dearing at a mutual friend’s home in Birmingham, Alabama. The two were married for 59 years, until her passing. Together, they raised three children: Curtis Boothe (Rosemary M. Boothe), Carol Dearing Motley, and Daniel Dearing (Katherine F. Dearing), in their home in Helena, Alabama.

A lifelong lover of education, Nathalie spent the early part of her career teaching elementary school. She later worked at Southern Progress in Birmingham—first at Southern Living magazine—where she eventually rose to become Executive Editor of Cooking Light magazine. Nathalie also spearheaded and worked tirelessly on the Birmingham-Southern Writers’ Conference during the 1980s and 1990s.

After she retired, she mastered the art of crossword puzzles in The New York Times. Nathalie was also a lover of art, thrift stores, and unique finds that made her laugh—something she never missed an opportunity to do. Her dynamic smile brightened every dark corner and will not soon be forgotten.

Even as dementia stole her memory, she remained a dedicated progressive woman, passionate about equal rights for all, as well as abiding by the United Methodist Church’s Christian tenet of reaching out to the oppressed and disenfranchised. Above all, she believed that love wins, though it often requires patience and tenacity. She adored her living room, with its big windows that looked out onto her yard and housed her enormous houseplant collection—especially when it was filled with family and friends.

Nathalie now shines down with clarity and peace on everyone who knew her, including her grandchildren: Valerie B. Milazzo, Lori Boothe, Everett Motley, and Elena Motley (Asheville, NC); and her great-grandchildren: Lauren Cate Sawyer, Blaze Moon, and Phoenix Moon.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Shelby County Arts Council in Alabama, the Alzheimer’s Central Alabama Foundation, or Four Seasons Hospice in Asheville, North Carolina.