Nancy Kay Walsh

Nancy passed away peacefully on October 28, 2020, at home surrounded by her family after a courageous five-year battle with cancer. She was 70 years young. She lived her life with grace, empathy, kindness, spirituality, courage and strength.

Nancy devoted her life to serving and helping others. After graduation from White Bear Lake High School, she attended the University of Minnesota, where she majored in social work and met her future husband, Tom. While raising her four boys, Brendan, Alex, Ryan and Jason, she spent much of her time volunteering in the classroom and on school trips. She taught her boys the value of community service and helping others. She volunteered at many food shelves and community kitchens. She coordinated bread collection and distribution for Loaves and Fishes, and she was a volunteer of the year at Community Emergency Service in Minneapolis. Nancy brought light and sunshine to the lives of everyone she met.

She loved gardening. Growing and tending her flowers, herbs, vegetables and raspberries gave her joy, and it made others happy to see them. Her favorites were geraniums, hydrangeas, peonies, sunflowers and generations-old rhubarb. Half of her yard was devoted to beautiful gardens.

Nancy also loved to travel. She had a sense of adventure and it took her around the world. She enjoyed seeing new things, meeting people and having new experiences.  The day after she and Tom married on October 30, 1971, they drove to Fort Devens, MA and thence traveled to Augsburg, Germany, where they lived for a year and a half. They spent time traveling through Europe, and they returned often over the years.  In the last year Nancy and Tom traveled to Alaska, Germany, Mexico and northern Minnesota.  Children living far and wide, from California, Minnesota and New York to Germany, also provided good reasons for travel.  She loved her boys to the fullest. She was preceded in death by her parents, Donald Bauer and Mary Grace (Dodge) Bauer.

She is survived by her husband, Tom; four sons, Brendan (Ann-Carolin), Alexander (Shelly), Ryan and Jason; four grandchildren, Sophia, William, Jocelynn and Tristan; brothers and sisters Gary Bauer (Carolyn), Donna Wipf (Larry), Bonnie Field (Robert) and Douglas Bauer (Cheryl); and numerous aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews.

We love you forever – because you showed us how.

Memorials and donations can be sent to Community Emergency Service at CESMN.ORG , or by check to Community Emergency Service, 1900 11th Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55404 with “in memory of Nancy Walsh” in the memo line.

A memorial service will be held in the summer of 2021.