At the age of 56, Nancy died by suicide on April 21, 2004, survived by two adult children. I'm sorry that her obituary is no longer posted on Google.
Nancy was an activist for affordable housing in the Santa Barbara area. She was a lawyer, a mother, and a dear friend. —Elizabeth "Biz" Glenn Harralson
Carol Carter (Stephens)
Thank you, Biz. Yes, Nancy was a dear soul who had a big heart for so many. I remember when she sat with women who had abortions at Oberlin before they were legal. She was active in the Unitarian church in Santa Barbara before her passing. I have many fond memories of our times together during Oberlin and afterward.
Matthew Rinaldi
Yes, thank you Biz for adding commentary about Nancy. In one of of cluster reunions between to 25th and 50th she was one of the panelists speaking about social activism. She brought a keen perspective to our role in the world. So sorry she left so early.
Barbara 'Bobbie' Sproat
I'm so sorry to hear about Nancy's choice. She and I connected at our 25th reunion and enjoyed having lawyering and Unitarian Universalism in common. I'd hoped to see her again at our 50th or one of the cluster reunions, but it never happened. Very sad.
Tom Mann
This is certainly heart-rending to read even though I don't think that I knew Nancy. My wife saw that I was looking at the Obie site just now and asked what I was reading... I told her and she asked if I had read the David Brooks' opinion piece she had sent me a couple of months ago from the NYT which was about how a friend might act toward another who was going through that torture. Of course, I had not read it so I just did.
We all might benefit from reading it and I've copied a link below. As we get older, the search for meaning and "happiness" becomes a bit more challenging as our bodies succomb to age. For my part, I've become somewhat of a pickleball fanatic in the last couple of years and I know it sounds crazy but the game is way more than just fun! Go figure.
Opinion | How Do You Serve a Friend in Despair? - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
William Balin
I am sorry to hear about Nancy. I knew her at Oberlin and thought she was a well-grounded person. It's hard to know what to say to someone who is going through such a hard time, and it's almost as hard to know what to say afterward. When my mother was in her senior years she complained about losing her friends and relatives. I intellectually understood what she was saying but her words and sadness didn't resonate with me until I got older myself. Now I know what she was talking about. Give a hug to those we love who are still alive!
Wayne Alpern
Nancy was my "computer date" way back when. We weren't evenly matched, if that's what the computer was trying to do. But we enjoyed the freshness of our differences. That taught me something about Oberlin. Maybe the computer was onto something. I am sad to hear of her passing.