Nancy L. Sulik

Nancy L. Sulik passed away peacefully the night of April 22, 2024. Nancy Jane was born to Joseph Otto Land and Mary Ena Martin Land on July 24, 1934 in Columbus, Mississippi. She grew up there with her younger sister Mary Martin Land Hill. 

She graduated high school in Columbus and went on to graduate from Mississippi State College for Women where her mother had attended before her. Nancy received a BA in Dance and French from MSCW as well as a degree from the Universite de Caen, France. 

Nancy married John Frank (Jack) Sulik from Buffalo, NY in 1959. They were introduced on a street corner in Houston by a mutual friend, while Nancy was working for the FBI. Jack was smitten, but Nancy made him wait for her while she went to France for a year and a half. They were married and moved to Corpus Christi where Jack worked as a Geologist. They had three children, Mary Claudia Dorn, John Justin (Jock) Sulik, and Thomas Cameron Sulik who died at birth.  Nancy has two grandsons, John William (Jack) Sulik and John Mattus Sulik who both had opportunities to dance in the Nutcracker with their grandmother as children.    

Nancy traveled extensively throughout her life with friends, family and students taking them overseas to France and Austria to perform and study dance. Her travels also took her to England, Italy, Hungary, Spain, and Mexico. She loved spending summers at their Hill Country Cabin and trips to Jack’s family cabin in the Adirondacks in upstate New York.         

Nancy’s life work was through education. She started teaching ballet as Sulik Dance School in the guest house of her home in 1965. In 1968, she began Ballet Academy on S. Alameda where numerous kids went in and out of her doors with the fondest of memories. She also taught French at Incarnate Word Academy for many years and Dance at Del Mar College. Concert Ballet was started in 1976 and provided the community with performances of the Nutcracker and Spring Galas. Bailando still goes on to this day. Nancy always worked to make sure that area school kids had the opportunity to go and see a live performance. She started an Encore Program that took art and dance into those schools as well. She kept EVERY letter those students wrote to her over the years thanking her for their experience.    

Nancy had many friends and people who adored her. She was blessed to touch so many lives here in Corpus Christi and abroad. She will be missed and remembered. 

Nancy is survived by her daughter Claudia Dorn of Rockport, Jock Sulik and grandsons Jack and Mattus Sulik of Corpus Christi, her sister Mary Martin Hill of Phoenix, Arizona, nephew Joe Hill, and great nephew Wyatt Hill.  

Services will be held at Seaside Funeral Home Chapel on Saturday, April 27 at 4 pm. Visitation will start at 3 pm. Nancy will be buried with her husband Jack and son Thomas at Fulton Cemetery on the morning of Monday, April 29.

Flowers can be sent to Seaside Funeral Home.

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