MS MISSOURI SENIOR AMERICA 2019,
DR. NANCY WILKINSON

Congratulations to Dr. Nancy Wilkinson, Ms Missouri Senior America 2019, and to the Missouri Pageant Alumnae Club for a wonderful State Queen!

A  practicing Doctor of Chiropractic since 1982, Dr. Nancy Wilkinson owns Central West End Chiropractic. A known advocate promoting vital-aging through balancing the “triangle of health”, in 2015 Dr. Nancy’s peers selected her as “ONE OF ST LOUIS’ TOP CHIROPRACTORS”. She teaches that healthful nutrition, faithful exercise, and a positive attitude are key components of balancing and promoting vitality. Since 2011 Dr. Nancy is a grateful ovarian cancer survivor.

For over 12 years, at Rio Caliente Health Retreat near Guadalajara, Mexico, Nancy taught nutrition and healthful living, as well as conducting exercise, yoga, and water therapy sessions. Sub-specialties in her practice include counseling on Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, addiction, cancer and overcoming fear. Sociology and Gerontology are strengths of her practice. Dr. Nancy believes laughter promotes healthful aging. It is not unusual to hear her singing to and with her patients, and teaching a dance move as part of their exercise homework. She strongly encourages art as therapy.

Born and raised in New Jersey in 1958 to wonderful parents, Rose and Robert Wilkinson, Nancy was educated at Rutgers and Bloomfield College in Pre-Med. In 1979, inspired by her Great Uncle Joza Uprka, the Czech Impressionist, she studied art history and studio art in Rome, Italy for a year through Trinity College of Hartford, Connecticut. Nancy is an honorary member of the arts family at the National Czech and Slovak Museum in Iowa. Dr. Nancy’s St. Louis (Maplewood, Missouri) family includes 2 sister cats rescued in Mexico and a little stray Jack Russell mix from the Humane Society. Believing that companion animals are part of the family, Dr. Nancy gives complementary treatments to her patients’ pets.

In addition to teaching healthful living, her passions include singing, dancing, oil and acrylic painting and “creating”. She writes shows, stories, and poems. She directs plays. She designs costumes and stage sets. Her other interests include organic horticulture, photojournalism, and cultural tourism. Her “active traveling” includes skiing, hiking, biking, swimming and all-around appreciation of the great outdoors. Nancy calls foreign travel “lifeblood” and has been around the globe extensively, including 8 times to Czechoslovakia prior to the fall of communism. Research on healing techniques in foreign lands is of utmost interest.

Dedicated to giving to her community, Dr. Nancy’s volunteer work includes: performing monthly for more than 25 years at senior facilities with River City Pops, providing support for the St. Louis County Older Residence Program (CORP), performing and fundraising for more than 20 years with the Broadway Fantasies Charitable Organization, and championing social justice with Black Tulip Chorale, a gender-neutral singing ensemble. Dr. Nancy created a non-profit organization known as "Charity Performances". She wrote and directed musicals performed at the St. Louis History Museum and St. Louis Sheldon Theater that raised funds for cancer research. In addition, Nancy delivers meals for the Agency on Aging.

Providing seniors with the knowledge and tools to optimize joyful longevity and being a role model for the younger generation is what makes Dr. Nancy "tick.