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NANCY WADE
March 1, 1948 – November 30, 2011
2/28/12
Hi everyone,
Nancy’s tribute concert on February 16th was amazing! I know so many of you who wanted to be there were either unable to (noon on a Thursday is a tough time slot), or you’re back on the East Coast or elsewhere around the world. Your thoughts and good wishes were very much appreciated and, in spirit, you were all there with Nancy.
Mr. Stewart Foster, the church’s master organist and Nancy’s friend, played like I have never heard him play before—stunning the audience with his soulful and heart-rending pieces, all of them among Nancy’s absolute favorites. The pipe organ at First Congregational Church here in L.A. is magnificent and the organ’s deep, primal reverberations, especially on the thundering low notes of Cesar Franck’s Chorale #3 (which ended the program), shook the church—and the people—to the very foundations!
While I was sitting in the pew, moving between my deep sorrow and the luminescent beauty of the day, I kept thinking about what Nancy’s reaction would have been to know that this incredible music and these loving friends were there for her and her alone; to bear witness to the wonderful, astounding, complex, irreverent, brilliant, perplexing, hilarious, sincere, profound person she was. All I could feel from her spirit was joy—pure, unadulterated joy! It was a mind-blowing send-off for a remarkable individual who loved and was loved. Rest well, my sister. We miss you.
After a brief but fierce battle, my beautiful sister Nancy succumbed to colon cancer on November 30, 2011.
Although she was terribly ill, the end was peaceful for her, and she was very well taken care of by the staff at Huntington Hospital in Pasadena, California.
I’ve created this memorial website so we can all share our stories and memories, and celebrate an incredible personality—lovable, irascible, complicated, brilliant and, undeniably…Nancy. She told me about a lot of your adventures and experiences, and I know there is much more to share. I would love to hear your comments and reminiscences. Click here to add your comments.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice to help fight cancer.
I hope you understand that this is an incredibly difficult time for me and I want you all to know how much I appreciate your care and concern. This is the easiest way for me to communicate with the many people who loved my sister.
I will post information about memorial service plans here on this site in the coming months.
Peace.
Nell Wade
If you’d like to get updates (recent comments, photos added, new information, etc.), click on the orange box in the upper right-hand corner of this page.
Celebrating Nancy Wade 