My Aunt Nance

My Aunt Nancy (Nance to family) Riche died Saturday, October 1, from complications of heart surgery.  She was 66.  We were close.  I can remember her babysitting and spoiling me (Academy Performance with Chicken and Chips from Marty's).  She was overflowing with love of, and pride in, all her many nieces and nephews. My siblings and I saw her at least once a week, my father and she visited daily.  Maybe because she was always so ebullient and youthful in outlook (even as she pushed her body into early decline) she sometimes seemed more an older sister than an Aunt … but she liked being Aunt Nance.

Nance and Lech

Nance was a fearless and tireless fighter for working people and for the rights of women.  Nance believed that social democracy was the most humane and therefore the most sensible form of Government.

Nance held that rapacious capitalism, unrestricted free trade with countries whose labour standards were beneath our own, were inherently unfair and so wrong.  She believed that organized labour always made a mistake when it did not directly engage in the political process. She was right.

Lightning wit made Nance a media ace for her side of the argument.

Nance was selfless in her devotion to social justice and neglected her health.

I spoke with her just hours before her passing, she was on oxygen and in obvious discomfort.  Yet she lit up with delight when she saw my daughter and asked for news of the New Democrats continuing advance in the provincial election.

The former Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador Danny Williams, a political foe, showed up at Carnell's this afternoon to pay his respects.  He noted the passion and courage of her convictions and said she was a great Newfoundlander.  On that all agree.