NADYNE MCDERMOTT

McDermott, Nadyne Lieberman

had a mantra - always try your best and never give up. Confronted with pancreatic cancer in 2008, she made up her mind to fight as hard as she could until she could find a cure.

Nadyne died on Monday, May 28, 2012, in Mission Viejo, California, surrounded by the love of her life and soul mate, Frank McDermott, her children, Kim McDermott, Rod McDermott, Samantha McDermott, Alexandra Wilcox, and her sister and brother-in-law, Gloria and Mike Spelber.

Dubbed an "outlier" by medical professionals and family members, Nadyne was cancer-free for 13 months and made it her personal mission to live life to the fullest. She was passionate about becoming a pilot and began taking regular flying lessons. She called flying with her only son, Rod McDermott, a beautiful distraction. She believed as Mark Twain did, "The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious. And why shouldn't it be? - it is the same the angels breathe."

Nadyne loved to travel and became a travel agent just to support her hobby. She always looked forward to sharing experiences with her best friend, partner in life, and true love, Frank. She would spend hours on the telephone planning trips for the family whether it was the annual trip to Hawaii, European vacations and cruises, trips to Israel or just a weekend get-away to Indian Wells.

Nadyne was also an avid golfer and looked forward to regular rounds of golf with her baby sister, Gloria Spelber. When she wasn't hitting the links, Nadyne would attend Deepak Chopra seminars with her daughter, Samantha McDermott, grade papers with her oldest daughter, Kimberly McDermott, and go house shopping with her youngest daughter, Alexandra Wilcox.

Nadyne believed in the power of family and the healing power of love. When she learned her cancer had returned, she made up her mind to fight as hard as she could. In fact, she and her husband, Frank, started writing a book to help people stricken with the disease entitled, "Living With Pancreatic Cancer." Nadyne believed as Randy Pausch did that "The brick walls are not there to keep us out, the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something . . . because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don't want it badly enough. They're there to stop the OTHER people." Nadyne never stopped fighting, even at the end.

Nadyne was most grateful for her family and friends. On November 24, 2011, Nadyne wrote: "I am truly grateful for all of our family, extended family and friends. I thank God every day for being truly blessed." Born on December 17, 1942, Nadyne is survived by her husband, Frank, who she called "her Francis," her children, Kim, Rod and Laura, Sami, Ali and Brian, and Marcella and Tom, her sister and brother-in-law, Gloria and Mike Spelber, grandchildren, Justin, Brendan, Matthew, Mitchell, Marissa, Madeline, Ethan, Liam, Chloe, Mia, Breanna, Marena, Connor, nieces and nephews, her aunts, Jacqueline Guzik and Lillian Fields, her loving cousins, preceded in death by her parents, Jack and Leila Lieberman, her brother, Michael Lieberman, her sister, Jyl Martins, and Harley, her golden haired companion.

In lieu of flowers, the family would be honored if friends would make a donation in Nadyne's name to the organization dedicated to fighting and ending pancreatic cancer, Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (www.pancan.org).