January 15, 1958 October 14, 2021 (age 63)

Some people come into our lives and change it forever. Nanette Marie Gutshall was one of those people. Born in 1958, Nan was every bit a boomer. She was fiercely independent and self-assured. She had a life filled with friends, frivolity, and deep conversations. She spoke truth filtered with love in her heart. Yet this trait was not always well received. At times, like many Gutshall’s, this practice could get her into trouble. Those who knew her, loved her honest and sincere heart and forgave her her mouth. Nan was an intelligent woman although she shocked her parents by graduating from college with honors. Her humor and laughter were infectious. Nan was often the center of conversation in a room full of people where there was so much laughter it was difficult to know who was talking; usually it was Nan.

Nan grew up in Goleta, California and moved to Utah to make a life with her partner, Cyndi Rowland. She spent her career as a special educator; first in the classroom, and then at Utah State University. From 1989 until retirement, she worked at USU on research grants and projects to prepare teachers to better include marginalized children with special needs. Her favorite projects involved working to improve the education of migrant Head Start students, and indigenous peoples. She was embraced by American Indians, having been adopted in the Indian-way by Marie Willow, an Arapaho medicine woman on the Wind River Reservation. Her work was recognized as an important contribution to tribal education, being given a pipe by elders at the Standing Rock Reservation, and a star quilt from elders at the Pine Ridge Reservation.

Her joy was being at home with her many fur babies over the years, and the love of her life, Cyndi with whom she lived since 1980. Growing up gay in Goleta, California, and subsequently in Logan, Utah (from 1982 to 2019) was not for the faint of heart. In 2013, 33 years into their relationship, Nan and Cyndi were able to legally wed in Utah. This was a capstone life experience after decades of advocacy to live with dignity and equality.

Nan’s core personality was one of curiosity, in people, cultures, and places. She travelled extensively and always felt that travel was the anecdote to ever narrowing minds. She was passionately political which made some family get-togethers interesting. In 2019, Nan and Cyndi returned to the Central Coast to be with family and the climate they hold so dear.

Nan and Cyndi were soulmates. They often said to one another, “if you die first, I’m going to find you and kill you”. This may be one reason Nan would not let go until she was told that it was OK to do so. After an unexpected month-long hospital battle with sepsis, on Oct 14th 2021, she stepped into the next great journey. Staff at the Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital ICU worked to get permission for 4 close friends and family members to be with her as she passed, even in the days of Covid. That amazing posse was Ingrid Gutshall (Santa Maria CA), Sharon Verhasselt (Golden Valley AZ), Caroline Hoag (El Cajon CA), and her wife, Cyndi. This sacred time will always be remembered.

She is now laughing and talking politics incessantly with a litany of family that went before her, including both of her parents (Norman and Roberta Gutshall), her only sibling (Jamie Urbanek Sterner), a beloved Aunt on her mother’s side (LauraLee Gallagher) and treasured Aunt and Uncle on her father’s side (Jack and Vera Gutshall). She was also reunited with numerous fur babies; the dogs and cats that she loved as her children over the years.

She is survived by her wife Cyndi, and her beloved nieces (Amy and Charlee Moreland with sons Tyson and Matteo of Phoenix AZ; Erin Urbanek with daughter Laurel Lee Canon and sons Diego and Milo Gutierrez of Camarillo CA), and nephew (Max Sterner of Ojai CA). Nan left many beloved Gutshall cousins too. While there are too many for this space, Ingrid, John, and Lorna (of Santa Maria CA) held a special place in her heart. Nan also left some amazing in-laws including a father (Richard Rowland of Goleta CA), a sister and brother (Sharon and Jim Verhasselt of Golden Valley AZ), as well as two nephews and a niece by marriage (Richard & April Gephart and family of Goldsboro, PA; Sam Verhasselt of Venice,CA, and Tracie & Jonathan Eymann and family of Goleta,CA). Finally, she is survived by an amazing aunt and uncle (Kenneth and Teta Turner, OK), and many Turner cousins. She also leaves uncle and aunt Jim and Susan Gallagher and many Gallagher cousins (of CA).

Nan’s ashes will be taken to the sea once the threat of Covid is over and family and friends can safely gather. One of Nan’s favorite sayings was “We all become a memory, make sure you are a good one”. She was this and more for us all. Nanny, we love you and miss you dearly. Reuniting will be so sweet.

To memorialize her, please lift your glass at sunset, pet a pooch, and have a deep conversation with . . . anyone.



Source link