Mary Elizabeth Burke was born on December 31, 1935, and raised in Pleasantville, New Jersey, just outside Atlantic City.

[5] After working as a legal secretary, she was hired on November 4, 1957, by Eastern Air Lines in Miami.

[4] She mostly worked on the Eastern Air Lines Shuttle from Washington, D.C., New York City, and Boston so that she could return home to care for her son, who has Down syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

[9] For her 50th anniversary as a flight attendant, US Airways honored Nash with a party at Reagan National Airport, including a water salute, typically only reserved for retiring captains or officers.

[11] Nash entered hospice care after being diagnosed with breast cancer, but never officially retired.