Our mother, Nancy Ruth Harder Hubert died quietly in her sleep on Wednesday morning, August 28th at the age of 88.  She joined her husband Warren on what would have been their 65th wedding anniversary.

She was born Nancy Ruth Harder on August 19, 1925 to Raymond Wymbs Harder and Lucie Belden Scott Harder in Pasadena, California.  It might be said that her favorite pastime was  the many hours she spent sailing in Alamitos Bay.  Nancy went to Long Beach Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California and Long Beach Community College.  After graduating, she worked as a flight attendant for American Airlines.

She and Clarence Warren Hubert II were married in 1948.  They moved sometime thereafter to the Pacific Northwest, living in Bellevue until they moved to Orange County, California in approximately 1962, where they raised their children.  Nancy spent many hours volunteering at the Community Congregational Church in Corona del Mar, California, where her husband was an usher and her children were taught the value of faith.  Nancy devoted time to volunteering at her children’s schools as well as Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts, PTA membership and other community involvements.  Not the least of these was the Orange County Philharmonic Society, (now the Philharmonic Society of Orange County) where she worked to promote her lifelong love of classical music.  She also worked in the Activities Office at Costa Mesa High School and later at Corona Del Mar High School.

After their children had grown, Warren and Nancy moved back to Washington state in 1989.  Warren passed away in 1990.  After this, she was proud to work at the Mt. Vernon Chamber of Commerce, Visitor’s Center and for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.  She also was working, notably, for the Children’s Museum of Mt. Vernon until very shortly before her death at the age of 88.  According to her friend Audrey with whom she worked at the Tulip Festival for years, she had many friends in the area.  She lived at the Vintage Apartments in Mt. Vernon just prior to moving to down to Southern California in August, where she passed away on what would have been the 65th anniversary of her marriage to Warren.

She leaves behind three children and their spouses: Dr. Stephanie & Allan Schneider of Cowan Heights, California, Bruce & Cindy Hubert of Mt. Vernon, Washington, and Robin & Peter Lamont of Oak Harbor, Washington.  There are also four grandchildren: Claire Broderick of Fullerton, California, and Daniel, Noel and Brian Hubert of Mt. Vernon, Washington.  There are also foster grandchildren who grieve her passing.  She is also leaving behind an older brother, Raymond Harder, of Los Angeles, California, and her younger sister, Priscilla Thomas of Sonoma, California. 

She loved her garden, she loved her kitties, she loved to read, knit and sew.  She loved to cook, and she loved Christmas most of all.  She loved her children and was proud of them, teaching them to work hard, to live clean and honest lives and to value their families, among other things.  In the end, she wanted to return to Alamitos Bay where she grew up, moving down to Southern California in early August.  She died a month later, and her ashes are scattered in the ocean she loved.  She is now with Warren, who passed ahead of her in death “far too young”, to quote her words.  We her children love her and are thankful for her life.