Peacefully and surrounded by her family, Nancy Holmgren Norelli passed away on November 3rd at the age of 76.

She will be lovingly remembered by her husband, Joseph of 47 years; children: Michael, Jason, Lisa and Jessica; grandchildren: Syris, Isla, Mikaela and Sylvie; brother, Paul; sister, Janice; as well as many relatives and friends.

Nancy grew up in California and attended Carmel High School where she was a song leader and played softball. She turned down a scholarship to UCLA to raise children, and later continued her education at The George Washington University in Washington DC, School of Public and International Affairs. During this time, her passion for Middle Eastern Studies and politics led her to work at the Center for Middle East Policy as well as The Atlantic Council of the US where she supported the cause of the Palestinian people. She found a special place working at St John’s Church Lafayette Square in Washington DC, before moving back to California.

In California she worked for The Marin Conservation League, a dedicated group of environmentally conscious, scientifically informed individuals who serve as the countywide authority on environmental policy. While there, Nancy championed one of the first reusable grocery bag campaigns, bringing canvas bags to West Coast retailers and coining the phrase, “Paper or Plastic? Neither!”. During this time, she was chosen as a member of the Wednesday Morning Dialogue, a group of influential women in Marin who discussed important issues of the day. She was also a member of the Environmental Forum of Marin whose mission is to promote a sustainable world through environmental education. She served as a member of the Board of Directors of The Bay Model Association; the Bay Model is a working hydraulic scale model of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta System dedicated to providing free, accessible waterfront education.

Nancy went on to serve the County of Marin as an Aide to Supervisor Hal Brown from 1995 until 2003 with superb intelligence, integrity and wit. She brought originality and insight to the issues of the community. She listened to the constituents of District 2 and provided compassion and solutions.

Nancy retired to Princeville, Kauai, and was an active member at Christ Memorial Church in Kilauea. She was a member of the Bishop’s committee at the church, helped run the food pantry, and served as the church Treasurer. She was actively involved in the community, coordinating fundraisers for the people of Kauai to affect positive change locally and nationally. Nancy helped facilitate the “Rally 4 Revolution” in Princeville with a group of passionate residents united under the name “ Kauai 4 Bernie”.

All who loved Nancy will remember her infectious laugh. She loved baking and art projects with her children and grandchildren. She had a deft hand at needlepoint and sewing, and created beautiful works using watercolor. Nancy was creative, thoughtful, generous, and always put others first. She enjoyed nature, gardening and being near the ocean. She always had a book in her hand and was an avid follower of Middle Eastern affairs.

A celebration of Nancy’s life will be held on Friday, January 10th at 2pm at Christ Episcopal Church in Sausalito.

Memorial donations may be made to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, an agency and cause Nancy supported and believed in.