Nora was my Great Aunt, my mother’s Aunt and namesake.  My Mom had a special connection to Nora, perhaps because of their shared name (at least to start).  For all of my life I was aware that Nora was an extraordinary person because of my Mother’s adoration of her.    

I don’t remember having a clear idea of where Nora lived or what she did when I was a child.  She was off an adventure somewhere…..   Visiting her on occasional trips to the Bay area as an adult gave me a chance to spend some time with her (and with Ken).  I lived in San Francisco from 2007 to 2011 and this was my opportunity to get to know her.

Nora was an environmentalist.  She loved animals, flowers, trees, mountains, art, Ken and life in general.  What resonated strongly with me is that Nora had a sense of who she was.  She knew how to take care of herself physically, emotionally and through art perhaps spiritually.  This was the source of my respect for her. 

Nora was delightful company.  I think this was because she knew who she was and what was important to her.   She took the time to show you something interesting or share a fun activity.  Always ready to discuss a current event or subject in a way that ideas could be exchanged by all.  She invited varying opinions.  Nora pursued what she loved, enjoyed life and appreciated that we all had our right to do the same. 

It brings me comfort to know that Nora had many adventures and a very rich life.  I will always miss her fine company but keep her spirit by trying to live as she did. 

Nora and my mother, Maud, met sometime in the late 1960s while walking their respective Beagles on the American River levee in back of Nora and Ken's home at 4248 North River Way in Sacramento. 

According to my mother, they walked their dogs together for a couple of years before they got around to inviting one another with respective husbands over for dinner.  But their relationship was very close, if formal, (as was the custom of women in their generation, ethnicity and socioeconomic standard) for the rest of their lives.

Both women loved the outdoors, nature, and gardening, so they had lots in common and lots to share.  In addition, both shared a deep, deep empathy for animals, especially -- but not only -- for dogs.  Their husbands were both professors at California State University at Sacramento, so they shared that too.  And finally, Nora was from British Columbia, and my parents emigrated to B.C. from Europe and lived their for 15 years before moving to Sacramento, so they had Canada in common too! 

Mom and Nora would often take long hikes with their dogs up at the Udvardy Trolleberg Ranch near Placerville, California.  The photo I am attaching below is of Mom and Nora on a shopping outing on Main Street in Placerville.  I think it must be from the late 90s. 

My mother passed away in December, 2010.  During the 7 1/2 weeks that she was hospitalized following the major stroke that ultimately took her life, Nora and Martha visited her several times.  Although my mother was very different from Nora in many ways, she was like Nora in that she would literally rather have died than to think she had caused others to go out of their way for her.  I know Mom knew Nora was there and I also know how very, very much she appreciated the effort and the visits.  Thank you, Nora and Martha.

I speak of Nora and Ken rather than Nora alone, because I always thought of them together, even though there was no way one could confuse the two.  To me, Nora and Ken were my second set of parents, or at least profound anchoring individuals in my life of travels.  Ken was my self-appointed mentor, and Nora became my friend. 

Their relationship and their way of living was so much the antithesis of my own parents' that it was a constant source of fascination for me.  Two more opposite individuals you could not find: 

- Nora was always thin as a rail and Ken was always obese (as long as I knew them). 

- Nora was practically a vegetarian, while for a good many years, Ken tried to follow an Atkin's diet that required eating lots of meat. 

-Nora was always very health conscious with her food; Ken was decidedly not so.

- Nora loved to exercise.  Ken hated it. 

- Nora was about as quiet and reserved as a person can get, while Ken could be extremely loud and obnoxious. 

- Ken loved to travel; Nora didn't much care for it, at least in the last 15 years of her life.

They did both love dogs and animals. And they loved each other. 

Ken was responsible for my going to Sweden in 1976, where I met my now husband, Thomas.  For that I will always be grateful.  It was nice to have them there in Sweden that year.  Even though I didn't often go to their flat, it was nice to know they were there.  And they got involved in our lives as Thomas and I came together as a couple.  We travelled with them occasionally and it was fun.

Something I always appreciated about Nora and Ken was that it did not bother them in the least that for a long time, Thomas and I were not married.  Thomas and I lived together without being married for 13 years.  We would never have married except that Thomas needed a green card to work in the USA and to get that we had to marry.  That was unconventional for their generation.  In fact, on our 10th anniversay of being together, Nora and Ken invited us for a weekend at Tahoe, in order for the four of us to celebrate this.  I always deeply appreciated that, b/c my own parents were quite dissaproving of living together without being married.

When I graduated with a BA from UC Davis, I came to visit my folks in Sacramento.  A huge bouquet of ballons was delivered to the door.  They were from Nora and Ken.  I loved it!

Once, my folks, Thomas and I went to Napa to spend New Year's Eve with Nora and Ken.  We were met at the door by Nora and Ken, who were wearing crazy hats, glasses that covered their eyes with psychedelic spirals, and blowing horns.  Great!

Although they lived in conventional, mostly white, WASPY neighborhoods, Nora and Ken were unconventional.  Although Nora was so retiring and soft-spoken, she was very accepting of difference. 

I am so glad they were in my life!