January 29, 1957 – June 29, 2019
The universe received a new beautiful star on June 29th.
Nancy was a gentle soul who graced this earth with her kindness and perseverance. She loved her cats snuggled in her bed at night; she loved picking fruits & vegetables from her garden and orchard; she loved the barn owls in their roost and the swallows flying overhead to their nests above the garage; she loved the sound of rain gently falling on the roof; she loved her coworkers at the city; she loved chatting with her friends; she loved exploring new territories; she loved new experiences; she loved sharing with others….
She loved her son Aaron, formerly Abigail, more than anything on earth.
Born in Summit New Jersey, Nancy grew up on the East Coast. She went to Hanover Park High School, then Edinboro State College in Pennsylvania where she earned a degree in Speech Therapy. She spent one summer in Nicaragua helping kids with learning disabilities. She then worked on Lower Brule Indian Reservation in South Dakota helping children with speech and hearing problems. She was an anti-war activist who organized delegations to Nicaragua and advocated for congressional change in policy. She can be seen on the cover of the book “Resisting Reagan” demonstrating with Witness for Peace for an end to Contra aid in Washington, DC on March 4th 1986.
Nancy moved to California. After receiving a Master’s Degree in Public Health from SJSU, she worked for the City of Watsonville for 27 years in Public Works & Utilities educating the community in saving water, recycling and less toxic home care. She helped design the Wetland Nature Center and worked on the 8-mile slough/wetland trail system.
Nancy raised her son, Aaron Enoch to be the awesome person he is today. She was a single mom dedicated and deliberate in her parenting. She cared for countless cats & dogs. Her happy place was the 30-tree orchard she created. The bounty of fruit produced was donated to the community. She was a board member of Mesa Verde Gardens, a community garden organization in Watsonville.
She always advocated for environmental justice, peace and fairness in our society. She was an avid gardener, environmentalist, mom, lover of animals & nature, birdwatcher, zealous book lover, homebody, a generous listener and friend to all. She sought to grow family and to make this world a better place.
She will be missed by all whose lives she enriched including her son Aaron Enoch (Mikki), her brother, Jim Reutlinger (Yvonne), her sister, Kathy Reutlinger, her mother, Dorothy Reutlinger, her sister by choice, Suzanne Williams (Doug), dearest friends Denise Beld (Jeff), Marcela Tavantzis (Jesse), Nisan O’Conner and countless close friends and family.
Donations may be made to the Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, Nancy Lockwood Fund (for environmental education in Pajaro Valley and building a new permanent Nature Center).
For information regarding a celebration of her life please contact Suzanne at sw*******@cr****.com (Sunday, July 21 from 1-4pm)
When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.
Someone so special will never be forgotten.
