Nancy Carol Hubbard (Jenkins) April 8, 1944 - September 12, 2019

Today was the day we had picked to gather and have a memorial service to celebrate the life of Nancy Hubbard. The thought that a global pandemic would have prevented this gathering would have been absurd on September 12th 2019, the day she died.  It was equally absurd a few years ago to think that she would have been taken down so completely by cancer.  When someone as vibrant as Nancy tells you they have “a little something that could be cancer,” we knew she could beat it.  Sadly, she could not.   

I am going to pretend that I am standing in front of you all today and this is some of what I would have said:

“Thank you all for being here.  I see so many people who knew why mom - family (of course) and friends.  She had SO many friends and was blessed with a large extended family.  Those who entered her light wanted to move closer.  It was like a magnetic attraction.  I’m not going to lie - she loved being loved.  Who wouldn’t?  THANK YOU for loving my mom!”

Toward the end, she was not able to see as many of you as she would have liked and gifts of food were not appealing.  She did, however love the cards and messages she received on a daily basis.  Every day we would guess at how many would be in the mailbox.  I know it was not easy to find cards that didn’t say “get well soon” as we all knew that she wouldn’t get well.  It was just a matter of time.  All of the cards and messages were beautiful gifts of love and kindness.  In the end she expressed such deep sadness at leaving all of us who loved her and her body worked very hard to stay.  I truly believe she was at peace in the end. That phrase sounds so cliché, I almost don’t want to use it but I can’t help myself. 

When I googled what to say at a memorial service I found this: “Memorial services and funerals allow mourners to express their sentiment and pay their respects to the person who has died.”

If you knew Nancy, even a little bit, please feel free to express your sentiments and pay your respects to Nancy in the comments.  She loved stories - especially those that involved her silly playful nature.  I know she will see them and we will all feel comfort in this time of great sadness.  She would have turned 76 years old a mere 17 days ago.  Please have a glass of wine in her honor.  She would have had many. 🍷