Miss Estelle Nottingham Tankard

Estelle Nottingham Tankard, 92, died Monday, June 14, 2021. Estelle was the
daughter of the late George Granville and Estelle Nottingham Tankard of
Machipongo on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

Estelle was a graduate of the College of William & Mary with an AB degree in
English and Education. She received her Master of Humanities degree from the
University of Richmond. She taught for 34 years, beginning her career at
Woodrow Wilson Junior High School in Roanoke, Virginia. She then moved to
Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond, Virginia and completed her career at
McLean and Chantilly High School in Fairfax County. In Roanoke Estelle taught
English and Social Studies, at Thomas Jefferson, English, Journalism and
Humanities and in Fairfax Schools, English and AP English/Humanities. During
the 1963-64 school year, she won a John Hay Fellowship to the University of
Chicago where her professional focus switched to teaching an interdisciplinary
course that she wrote based upon her academic experiences in Chicago. After her
retirement in 1983, “Miss T” remained in touch with many of her former students
who have had successful and enriched lives in many fields of endeavor.

She is survived by a niece Mary Tankard Pumputis, her husband Doug Pumputis
and their children, Amy and Adam, as well as a nephew George G. Tankard III and
his wife Carol and their daughters, Sara and Jane. “Stellie” is also survived by
Carolyn B. Hudgins, a special friend of many years; her children, grandchildren,
and great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held 11:00 a.m., Thursday, June 17, 2021 at Mathews
Baptist Church, Hudgins with burial to follow at H. C. Smither Memorial
Cemetery, Hudgins. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at
the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the
Mathews Volunteer Rescue Squad, 94 Cricket Hill Road, Hudgins, Virginia 23076,
to the Mathews/Gloucester Humane Society, P.O. Box 385, Gloucester, Virginia
23061, to Mathews Baptist Church, P.O. Box 8, Hudgins, Virginia 23076 or to the
charity of your choice. Faulkner Funeral Homes, Foster-Faulkner Chapel,
Mathews, Virginia is assisting the family.