Nancy Van Acker Haskell

Nancy Haskell

Nancy Van Acker Haskell, dear wife, mother, grandmother and friend, died Monday (Jan. 30, 2012) in Palm Desert after a relentless battle with cancer. She was 64, too young to leave all who loved her. Nancy was the wife of Gil Haskell, mother of Jenny and Julie Van Acker; step-mother of Patti Haskell McGovern and Paula Haskell Miralgia; and grandmother of four adored little girls, Avery, Ryan and Kelsy McGovern, and Isabella Miraglia. Nancy was born in 1947 in Detroit and lived in Florida until she was 8, when she and her parents moved to Orange, Calif. She graduated from Orange High School in 1965 and attended business school in Santa Ana. She married Paul Van Acker and had two daughters, Jenny and Julie, whom she later raised as a single mother. Nancy's career in professional sports began with the Anaheim Oranges of World Team Tennis. She was then hired by the Los Angeles Rams where she worked in community relations and was later in charge of the cheerleading squad. While working in Anaheim for the Rams, she met Gil Haskell, one of the team's coaches, who would become her husband. Over the years, Gil's football career in the NFL took them from Anaheim to Green Bay, to Charlotte, to Seatltle and to Cleveland. Along the way in each city, Nancy gathered friends, dozens of friends, each of whom stayed special to her and was always remembered. In the football off-seasons, Nancy and Gil spent time in their La Quinta, Calif., home, playing golf and entertaining family and friends. Nancy was a voracious reader, passionate about politics and loved movies - especially the oldie black-and-whites - with her sweet little dog Angel nearby. No day was complete without a Coca-Cola with lots of ice. A service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Friday in the chapel at Fairhaven Memorial Park and Mortuary in Santa Ana (1702 Fairhaven Avenue), followed by burial.

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