Obituary of Nancy C Whitesel

Nancy C. Whitesel, 76, died peacefully Friday, September 16, 2022, in Tacoma, Washington, surrounded by those closest to her. Nancy was born in Michigan, July 1946, to Mabel L. and Earl F. Haire. At the age of 10, Nancy moved to Washington with her mother and siblings. In 1969, Nancy met and married Ken Whitesel, and made her life as a home-maker for her own growing family. In life with Ken, Nancy shared and enjoyed their faith, fishing, dancing, cooking, baking, holidays (especially Christmas), and time spent with loved ones. Nancy was a Spiritualist and a lifetime member of Camp Edgewood, NSAC, in Milton, Washington, where she and Ken lived together for 19 years until Ken’s death in 2014, and where she lived until the time of her death. She explored her Spiritualist faith extensively, and enjoyed sharing her Spiritualist experiences with others. Later in life, Nancy allowed others to care for her as she cared for them. She had many health struggles, the most challenging being a nervous system disorder (Essential Tremor) that causes involuntary shaking, which for Nancy became quite severe, affecting her entire body, head and voice. With this condition, the simplest tasks were very challenging and frustrating… Nancy persevered. Nancy learned to find joy in simple things. She enjoyed online casino games, word games and puzzles, ‘Jeopardy’ trivia show, and mysteries of all kinds. She enjoyed watching a variety of sports, but especially loved cheering on the Seattle Mariners. She enjoyed shopping and dining out with her daughters, and their yearly trip to the ocean. She loved living in the Pacific Northwest between the mountains and the ocean; for Nancy, Mount Rainier was a source of strength, comfort, and peace, and the ocean, a source of wonder. Nancy loved animals and had many pets over the years, referring to them as “love wrapped in a fur coat.” And she marveled while watching the birds out her front window, especially hummingbirds, as they reminded her of her beloved Ken. Nancy is predeceased by her parents; Ken, her loving husband of 45 years; her sister, Dixie, and her brother, Kenny. She is survived by four adult children, Carole (Adam), Tina, Robin (Greg), and Chris; grandchildren, Jason (Sharyl), Kenny, Nicholas and Kayla; great grandchildren, Brandon and Georgia; as well as many extended family members. Nancy was tender-hearted, generous, and wonderfully silly; she was tough, tenacious, and fiercely independent. She will be greatly missed… though gone from our sight, she will forever be in our hearts. At Nancy’s request, there will be no public memorial service. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the animal rescue or shelter of your choice.