Gayle Mary “Wendy” Nash-Moon, longtime Whidbey Island resident, died peacefully at 11 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 7, at Whidbey General Hospital, with her son Matt at her side.
Her son Randy and other family members and friends were grateful for the time they got to spend with her during her last week of life. Early in the week, Wendy expressed pleasure at having brought so many people together.
Wendy was born in Bronxville, N.Y., on Nov. 7, 1935, to Valma Coleman Henderson and Maurice Le Roy Henderson. She was raised in Des Moines, Iowa, and moved to Colorado as a young woman.
There, she worked at the Tumbling River Dude Ranch near Grant and attended Adams State College in Alamosa, where she met and married Norman Nash. He joined the Navy and became a pilot, which brought them and their two sons to Whidbey Island in 1968.
After their divorce, Wendy worked as a clerk at Chuck Dann’s sporting goods store and as an administrative assistant at the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce, Oak Harbor Junior High, and the Whidbey Island Campus of Skagit Valley College, where she also earned an associate’s degree. She retired in 1999 and was inducted into the SVC Hall of Fame in 2010. She married John Moon in September 2000.
An ardent nature lover and environmentalist, Wendy had an exceptional zest for life and brought humor and fun to her many activities. She enjoyed riding horses, hiking, backpacking, skiing, reading, writing, playing Scrabble and collecting rubber duckies. Over the years, she was very devoted to the dogs in her life.
She implemented the recycling program for SVC Whidbey, and she and John started recycling programs for the Coupeville Arts Festival and the Coupeville Farmers Market. She was active in and supported the Whidbey Island Pony Club, the League of Women Voters, Waste Warriors, Beach Watchers, the Coupeville Festival Association, the Whidbey-Camano Land Trust, the Nature Conservancy and the Friends of the Coupeville Library.
Wendy also enjoyed traveling. As a Navy spouse, she went to Greece and Spain; with friends, to Alaska, Hawaii and Ireland; and with John, to Costa Rica, Patagonia, Peru and Wales.
Wendy is survived by her husband John of Coupeville; sons Randall Nash (Lori) of Bellingham and Matthew Nash (Gynon) of Oak Harbor; two grandchildren, Danae, 19, and Raine, 17 (children of Matt and Gynon); one great-granddaughter, Ella, 18 months (granddaughter of Randy and Lori); five step-children; 10 step-grandchildren; 17 step -great-grandchildren; and one step-great-great-grandchild. Wendy will be sadly missed by her many good friends.
A gathering to celebrate Wendy’s life will take place at 5 p.m. on Feb. 27 at Nordic Hall, 63 Jacobs Road, Coupeville. At her request, her ashes will be scattered at one of her favorite places on Whidbey Island. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation (WAIF) or to any of the organizations listed above.
Happy trails, Wendy.
To share memories and condolences, please visit Wendy’s page in the Book of Memories at www.wallinfuneralhome.com
Arrangements entrusted to Wallin Funeral Home & Cremation, LLC, Oak Harbor.
