Nancy's obituary

Nancy Feldman
February 23, 1938 - April 17, 2019

A Rockport native, though Santa Barbara, Boulder, and San Miguel de Allende were all places she called home. 
Long before the term, "solo female traveler" entered the global lexicon, Nancy Feldman had an 
inextinguishable passion for exploring the world and creating life-long friendships wherever she went.

Nancy was born Feb 23, 1938 in Beverly Massachusetts to Betty and Simon Feldman. 
She was a loving sister and daughter that was often called upon to care for her family, 
a responsibility she always stepped up to. Even with obstacles, Nancy pursed higher education 
at Fisher Junior College, determined to continue her education in a time when young women were not encouraged to do so.

While Nancy was unable to achieve her dream of graduating university, she saw another dream come to 
fruition when all three of the children she raised on her own went on to receive Bachelor’s degrees, 
and even a Master’s. 
There’s no doubt that Nancy had incredible strength in raising three children by herself.

Anyone that knew Nancy could attest to her unique ability to strike up a conversation with just about anyone. 
Through this skill Nancy carved out an impressive career for herself. She started out as a door-to-door 
life insurance sales woman when her children were in high school and she was in her 30's. 
Not only did she succeed in this job, she thrived, eventually becoming a sales manager for Sylvestre Gifts. 
As a bonus for the company's top sales team, Nancy was flown out to the Philippines where the company said 
they would pay for a stopover on the way home. While most of the other employees chose Hawaii, 
Nancy saw an adventure at every turn, opting for a trip on her own to Japan and China instead.

As many New-Englanders often do, Nancy would take vacations for a week in the winter to escape the cold. 
Accompanied by three other fearless friends she would march down to the travel agent's office and ask 
for the next cheapest ticket, no matter the destination. This is how Nancy came to add Venezuela, Portugal, 
Spain, Italy, Sweden, England and Ireland to the long list of places she visited.

When she was in her fifties, Nancy moved across the country to be back in the California sun, 
living at first with her son, Brian in Santa Barbara and Ventura, then settling in Palm Desert for nine years. 
Both in the desert and on the coast, Nancy created a community of loving and supporting friends that 
helped care for her when she was first diagnosed with cancer in 2008.

In 2011 Nancy's nomadic journey brought her closer to her daughter, Rebecca, settling in Boulder, Colorado 
for the chance to be closer to family and receive continued assistance for her cancer. Although this 
was not Nancy's first time calling Colorado home, having met her late husband, Jim and having her 
firstborn daughter, Lesley in Idaho Springs in 1958.

In her final years she returned to Rockport to be reunited with her son, Brian, daughter, Lesley, her oldest friends, 
and one of her truest loves, the sea. She even managed to visit Paris and California one last time in her 80th year 
(how many 80 year old women can say they've done that?).

When life threw Nancy a curveball, which it did many times, she did not take that as a sign to give up, 
but rather as an opportunity for a new beginning, and many a new beginnings did she have. 
Whether it was deciding to become a competitive runner in her late 30’s, mountain biking in her 40’s, 
a Sierra Club mountain guide in her 50's, or a Croquet champion in her 60's, she so fearlessly jumped 
into whatever came her way, regardless of her age.

Her memory will live on in her three children, Lesley, Rebecca, and Brian; her son-in-law, Patrick; 
her grandchildren, Olivia, Emma, Tristan, and Isabel: her many nieces, nephews, and cousins; and 
her countless beautiful friendships. We will miss her undeniable bravery, resilient spirit, and her beautiful soul.