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Nancy Corser – wife, mother, caring friend, and nurse practitioner extraordinaire. She was 91 when she passed – and it was all on her terms; quick and no fuss. “We’ll just keep on dancing” was one of Nancy’s favorite parting phrases. And throughout her full life that’s just what she did.
Family and medicine were her great loves. She met John Corser (Johnny), the love of her life, in high school and they were married for 44 years, until his passing in 1994. Both were California natives, and together they would have two children and three grandchildren and all would develop a love of world travel and outdoor adventure that would take them into the wilderness and to all the world’s continents.
Medicine came naturally to Nancy and she worked as a provider at clinics in San Francisco and Contra Costa County until her retirement at age 84. Growing up, dinner table talk was invariably about the unexpected emergencies that would roll into the ER. There was always a new surprise! However, everyone in Nancy’s eyes, was kind and good looking. Her medical knowledge was expansive and her memory for life’s details truly remarkable.
Nancy always looked on the bright side of life and was a big believer in the power of positive thinking. Things would always work out and people are basically good. Some of her favorite catch phrases were that someone’s idea was “supercolossal” or what you were doing was “peachykeeno”. And in her eyes, her family could do no wrong. You want to rob a bank? Great! And by the way, she’ll be glad to drive the get-away car! Her family knew better than to do anything that might be not to her liking though, for that could lead to a verbal “shruff, ruff” or worse the dreaded double “shruff, ruff”!
She loved to drive her Honda, sip Tanqueray gin martinis with three onions, play bridge, eat See’s Candy, visit Yosemite Valley, go to the movies, watch “Grey’s Anatomy”, shop at Trader Joe’s and soak in her hot tub even in the rain.
Nancy also loved to read and was lucky to be part of a monthly book club made up of her dearest friends, who were mostly former nurses. She volunteered for many years at the Bookstore operated by Friends of Martinez Library. One of her favorite jobs there was reading to any child that happened to drop by who was in need of a story from a loving grandma.
Nancy had a kind and generous heart and was a terrific listener. She had a knack for teasing out the life story of people she just met, always leaving a lasting positive impression. On many occasions, a new friend having just met Nancy, would later comment “I love your mother”! That’s just the way she rolled in life, she would just brighten up your day. She will be cherished and missed.
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