Nadine Kaye Whitehall

Nadine spent her youth in Waterville, WA and grew up with her beloved “Little Granny.” She loved swimming and horses, and the accompanying picture is Nadine on her favorite horse, “Casey.” She was a lifeguard at the local pool, and exercised thoroughbred racehorses for their owner. Nadine loved Nesbitt’s orange soda, and would always leave the last drink for Casey.

Nadine then spent the next chapter of her life raising five children, married to WA State Patrol Trooper. She worked part-time as a veterinarian’s assistant, then as a manager of the swimming pool in Brewster, WA. When our family moved to Wenatchee, WA, she taught swimming classes and caught the eye of a lady that knew talent when she saw it. Nadine began to train and was soon swimming competitively in ‘Masters Swimming,’ an elite organization for world class swimmers, divided into various age groups.

She traveled extensively, through her 40s & 50s, throughout the US, and sometimes overseas. Her favorite was Australia, where she lived for about 3 years. Nadine collected hundreds of medals, and at one point in an astounding career, Nadine held the World Record fastest time for the 50-meter butterfly event, in the 50-54 age group! In between traveling, she continued teaching swimming lessons and would often tell us stories of how she helped the kids under her tutelage. Nadine made countless friends wherever she went, and her great friends in Australia called her their ‘Yankee Bird” or just “The Yank.” She loved that.

I believe that anyone who ever met Nadine really liked her. Rarely do we meet someone, let alone get to have a relationship with them, who is truly unselfish. Nadine embodied it. As her children, we witnessed it every day. She then taught all of us that her unselfishness wasn’t her, but Christ in her. That believing in Christ and accepting Him as Lord and Savior was everything in this life. Along with so many things, we are eternally grateful for that, as we now reflect on her life, dedicated to caring about others before herself. What a legacy! To leave behind nothing but memories of loving kindness…Until we meet again, Mom, Bob’s yer Uncle!