Nola Maxine Wedeen

Nola was an extraordinary human. She lived her life with fierce resilience until her last days. Her life was filled with adventure and she forged her own path which took her all over the world. She was an artist, a librarian and a teacher, touching hundreds of lives.

Nola was a helper. She helped a friend who had been diagnosed with cancer by raising money for her and her kids and she helped as moral support for many, many others. When you knew Nola, you knew she was in your corner.

Her last year was filled with joys and sorrows. She seized every day available to her, driving her scooter around town, making many new friends wherever she went. The Doghouse restaurant in Duncan was one of her favourite places, meeting friends there or just chatting to the staff. She would have a Benny and ask for her tomatoes to be incinerated.

She put on her final art show in the Summer of 2026 despite her health. It was a huge success.

She told me she wanted to make it to Duncan Days and to the Moss Street Paint In which she did. Getting herself and her scooter to the Moss Street Paint In, in Victoria was an adventure in itself. When she wanted something, she made it happen.

Her terminal illness didn’t temper her spirit. She would often joke, ‘Don’t worry, no one is going to die today’.

Her circle of friends that surrounded her in her last months gave her daily comfort and laughter. Her book club came to spend some days with her in her last weeks. She was well taken care of.

I can’t cover all that was Nola but here are some descriptions from her friends all over the world. Nola was larger than life and had an indomitable spirit. She always felt the fear and did it anyway. She had courage and humour in the face of her terminal illness. She was bossy, levelling, loud but always had that soft underside, the real Nola. She was a mentor, philosopher and a guide.

"You were never fake. Loud, blunt, honest, kind and always straight to the point. That was simply you, and that’s what made you special. I will miss you my dear friend."

Nola never gave us anything other than her raw, true self.

Rest in peace, Nola. You and your librarian jokes will be missed. See you in Valhalla