Nancy Kay Wood Walcott

Nancy Kay Wood Walcott, 73, musician, teacher, entrepreneur and counselor died in San Francisco on Monday, June 20, 2011 after a courageous battle with cancer. Walcott, who spent the last decade in Los Angeles, moved to San Francisco to spend her final days with her son Gregory and his family.

Born May 14, 1938 in Paris, Arkansas to James Kirk Wood and Verna Izell Wood, she moved, with her family, to San Francisco in 1942. She received her education from Lowell High School, class of ’56 and San Francisco State College ’61. During these early years in San Francisco she discovered what would become her lifelong love of music.

During high school she played alto sax with The Blue Notes, the band featured in the Ames Swartsfager book Between the Devil and the Deep… . This love of music continued throughout her life, most recently as an oboist with the Caltech-Occidental Orchestra, Glendale Community College Orchestra, and the Crown City Symphony. The challenge of playing well the haunting tones of the oboe was one of the great joys of her life.

In the late 1970’s Nancy discovered a flair for entrepreneurship. She founded and ran, for a decade, Command Courier, a respected courier company in the competitive Los Angeles fast delivery market. Through this experience she developed respect for both the challenges and joys of running a company, as well as the love of the Los Angeles area that would bring her back years later.

In 1988 Nancy moved from Los Angeles to Fayetteville, Arkansas to be closer to her mother, Verna Wood, and rediscovered her passion for teaching. She taught gifted and talented students at Central Junior High School in Springdale, Arkansas. During those years she trained a team of talented and motivated students to participate in the Model United Nations competition, winning the State Championship and traveling to Washington, D.C. for the Nationals. For the rest of her life she carried with her fond memories of the many students she mentored.

Nancy’s passion for helping people and her sensitivity and skill in listening to their needs led to a practice as counselor and advisor to many who sought her services. She discovered early the keys to helping people: to listen closely, to listen with her heart, to reach out and touch lives with gentleness and sensitivity. One of her life’s greatest blessings was the opportunity she had to positively touch the lives of so many wonderful people.

Nancy is survived by her son, Greg Walcott, his wife Van Do; two grandchildren, Ty Ryan and Megan Alyce, all in San Francisco; one sister, Johnnie Wood and her husband, Richard Suits of Hackett, Arkansas; her nephews, Jeffrey Purtee of Reno, Nevada and Jay Purtee of Hackett, Arkansas. She was preceded in death by her parents, James Kirk Wood and Verna Izell Wood and her brother, James Douglas Wood.

To visit an online guest book or to place a tribute go to www.mcconnellfh.com .

A memorial service will be held in Los Angeles at a future time. Once established, the date, time and place will be posted at www.mcconnellfh.com .