Nancy Fitch

1929 - 2015

Nancy Fitch
June 1929 - March 2015
Santa Cruz
Longtime Santa Cruz resident, Nancy Fitch passed away on March 5, 2015.
Nancy Genevieve Fry was born in Oshkosh Wisconsin 20 minutes after her identical twin sister Sue.
The twins attended Lawrence University in Appleton Wisconsin where they were awarded their bachelor degrees.
Nancy continued her studies at St. Margaret's House, Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California were she earned a Master's in Christian Education where she met another seminary student, Stuart Fitch. They married June 13, 1952 and remained married for nearly 58 years until Stu's death in 2010.
After seminary the young couple went to Utah to serve as missionaries for the Episcopal Church. Children Susan and Robert were born there. The family moved to Monrovia California in 1958 where Stuart was an associate Rector at St. Luke's Monrovia and Richard was born.
While busy being a mother of three and minister's wife, Nancy's thirst for knowledge continued. She studied humanistic psychology as well as the works of Carl Jung and Teillhard de Chardin with Dr. Ollie Backus at St Luke's and earned her Marriage & Family Counseling certification.
Nancy and the family moved to Lompoc California in 1968 when Stuart became Rector of St. Mary's Episcopal Church. Nancy started teaching World Religions and Family Communication Skills at Alan Hancock College in Santa Maria where she taught for 17 years. She was also active with the Mental Health Association and helped form a coalition that built affordable housing for person's with disabilities. While the children moved on to schools in Northern California, Nan and Stu remained in Lompoc until their retirement in 1989.
After retirement the couple moved to Trinity County and lived in the house that son, Rick had built in Reading Creek Canyon. Nan and Stu lived there year round for three years, assisting at the Episcopal Mission in Weaverville and enjoying rural life: gardening, wild flower hikes, a western line dance class and hosting family reunions at "The Land."
Nan and Stu moved to Santa Cruz in 1992 making Trinity their "summer home." As a "lifelong learner", Nan flourished in Santa Cruz. She was active at St John the Baptist Episcopal Church. She also participated in yoga classes, the "Sons of the Beach" Ukulele Club, the Pajaro Valley Quilt Association, and a weekly book group. And she spent many wonderful times with her sister Sue. After her husband's death in 2010 Nancy remained active until her last few weeks.
Nancy is survived by her twin sister, Sue Becker, daughter Susie Kralj, sons Rick and Bob Fitch, daughters-in-law Shelley Fitch and Sara Fitch, grand children Ben (Lamiae) Kralj, Roberta (Nick) Rogers, Carlie (Kevin) Leduc, Peter Fitch, Nora and David Fitch, nephews Paul and Shyam Becker, nieces Janet and Mary Kat Hildebrand, Mary Wells and grand-nephew Tyndall Wells.
Services will be held at Saint John the Baptist Episcopal Church, 125 Canterbury Drive, Aptos, CA on Saturday April 18 at 2PM.
The last thing Nancy said to her grandchildren was "be of service."
Nancy supported numerous charities and organizations. In lieu of flowers the family asks that you donate to or volunteer at a favorite charity.
Some of Nan's favorites:
St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church, Aptos CA
Center for Nonviolence, Santa Cruz CA
Hope with South Sudan, San Jose CA
The family also suggests Hospice of Santa Cruz County