Nancy Belle Bayly Watts

July 12, 1915 - December 19, 2013

Nancy died peacefully at her home in Valle Verde, Santa Barbara on December 19. She will be missed for her creative and courageous spirit. She lived most of her life in Pasadena, CA. In her youth, she rode hunters and jumpers at the Flintridge Riding Club; attended Polytechnic School, Westridge School for Girls, and UCLA. She was a Las Madrinas debutant in Los Angeles in 1933. In 1946, Nancy and her second husband, Leslie C. Watts, designed and built their house on Lida Street in the Linda Vista area where they raised their 3 children. She was noted for her passion for life, creative cooking, her green thumb and artistic skills. Nancy had a 30 year career in the field of children's art. She was the Director of Children's Art Education at LACMA and Norton Simon Museum as well as a teacher at Pasadena City College and Pacific Oaks School. During retirement, she was a volunteer and curator of Asian textiles at the Pacific Asian Museum in Pasadena. She raised her children to be independent and self-reliant as the result of multiple adversities in her own life. Nancy was an avid reader and world-wide traveller. She was a beautiful and intelligent woman with a sense of style and a pragmatic viewpoint. She loved animated conversations on controversial topics. She is survived by her siblings Maybelle Wolfe and Roy D. Bayly; her children Joan Haradon, Fritz Howard Haradon and Luis Guevara Watts; seven grandchildren; and 3 great-grandchildren. Her brother Russell Bayly preceded her in death. The family wishes to express their gratitude to the staff at Valle Verde for taking such wonderful and loving care of Nancy. Her ashes will be interred at Mountain View Mortuary in Altadena CA.