Nancy Ruth Torbett

Nancy Ruth Torbett of Vienna, Virginia, passed away peacefully on February 15, 2026, at the age of 84. She was born February 16, 1941, in Erin, Tennessee, to George and Avis Walker and raised on a gentleman’s farm without electricity and running water. 

After losing her hearing at the age of three following an accident at home, Nancy attended and graduated from the Tennessee School for the Deaf in 1961, where she played basketball and was a majorette during her high school years. Upon graduation, she attended Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN before marrying Paul Torbett in 1962 and starting a family in Knoxville, Tennessee. 

In the early 1970s, Nancy moved to Washington, D.C., where she worked at Gallaudet University in administration for two years while furthering her education. In 1975, she began a remarkable 36year career as an administrative specialist with the U.S. Department of Commerce, retiring in 2011. She was active with the Gallaudet University community for many years during her career and in retirement. 

Nancy loved entertaining and cherished time spent with her family and friends. She had a wonderful talent for decorating, and her creativity truly shone during the Christmas season.  She delighted in family travel especially to Europe and California, and her Sunday multi-course dinners were a beloved tradition that reflected her passion for cooking and togetherness. With her love of people and her fun-loving spirit, it was no surprise that she tried her hand at acting in 1981. She joined the cast of ‘Tales from a Clubroom,’ a comedic deaf theater production, stealing scenes as a drunken bar fly. 

Nancy is survived by her son, Troy Torbett; daughter-in-law, Carol Torbett; and grandchildren Kyle and Drew Torbett, all of Vienna, Virginia. She was preceded in death by her parents and her siblings, G.T. Walker, Joanne McGovern, Mary Nell Walker, John Walker, James Walker, Jeannie Lewis, and Margaret Lewis. 

Visitation will be held Wednesday, February 25 at 12:00pm to 2:00pm at Money & King Funeral Home, 171 Maple Ave West, Vienna, VA 22180.  A graveside service will be held at Cedar Hill Cemetery in Erin, TN at a later date in the spring 2026.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Nancy’s name to the National Association of the Deaf (NAD) https://www.nad.org/make-a-donation/ or Gallaudet University https://gallaudet.edu/giving/ Or to the Virginia Association for the Deaf  https://www.vad.org/