LEWIS-PARKER, Nancy Lea
(December 31, 1959 – October 7, 2012)
With heavy hearts we announce the passing of our dear sister, mother, wife and friend at home in Auckland, NZ on Sunday, October 7, 2012. Nancy is survived by Paul, her loving and devoted husband of almost 25 years, and two beautiful daughters, Eva and Sophie; her sisters Donna (Grant) Ballam, Barrie, ON, Lorna (Frank) Monteleone, Mississauga, ON; special cousin Bob (Debra) Quigley, Dartmouth, NS; Aunt Audrey MacLellan, Truro, NS; the Parker Family, Auckland, NZ, nieces, nephews and cousins in Canada and New Zealand.
Nancy was born in Truro, NS and lived in Bass River, NS. She will always be remembered for her ongoing love and compassion for everyone who came into contact with her. She had an amazing zest for life which was clearly shown in her everyday life, both personally and professionally. Her family and friends were very important to her.
Nancy was the first girl and the youngest person to ever complete her solo flight at Truro Flying Club at age 17. She was Crowned Miss Nova Scotia in 1978 and competed in the Miss Canada Pageant in Toronto, Ontario. She was an avid knitter, quilter and reader, amongst other hobbies. Even though Nancy lived in NZ for half of her life, she never forgot or lost her Nova Scotia and Canadian roots.
Nancy achieved her Bachelor of Nursing degree at Dalhousie University in Halifax, NS and then worked at the Victoria General Hospital there until moving to Auckland to work at Auckland City Hospital, and later became a nursing lecturer at AUT.
We would like to say a special Thank You to Dr. Michael Findlay and his team, and nurses at Auckland City Hospital plus the hospice palliative care team who helped look after her at home in her final days. Also we would like to say Thank You to fiends and family in New Zealand who prepared meals, and gave devoted love and genuine caring for Nancy, Paul, Eva and Sophie during this stressful time in their lives.
Funeral services will be held in Auckland on Friday, October 12, 2012 at St. John the Baptist Anglican Church, followed by cremation. A memorial service will be held in Nova Scotia at a later date.
Donations may be made to the Canadian Pancreatic Cancer Foundation or to The Nancy Lewis-Parker AUT Special Qualities in Clinical Practice Scholarship in Auckland – anyone interested in donating to this scholarship should contact Lorna Monteleone at lornamonteleone@hotmail.com or Donna Ballam at donnaballam@hotmail.com for further details.
“Never forgotten,
Always in our hearts”