Page 30 - Susan Taylor

Transitions with Carol LeBeau

Loren Nancarrow When the night
is gone. It’s still ended, Loren
hard to believe. was still gone, but
After bravely bat- thanks to Jody’s
tling brain cancer, warmth and hos-
my friend and for- pitality, we’d been
mer TV colleague given the gift of
passed away in a little more time
December at the together to mourn
age of 60. and celebrate our
We’ll never friend…providing
know- this side of closure for the
eternity- why Loren gaping hole in our
was taken from collective heart.
his family, friends Please keep Loren’s remarkable family in your thoughts and
and thousands of prayers. Those of us who knew and loved Loren have lost a
fans in the prime friend…but Susie, Hannah, Graham and Britta have lost their
of life. It’s just not husband, dad and hero.
fair. But from the May God richly bless them and give them comfort in their grief
moment Loren
received his grim
diagnosis, he decided not to waste a moment pondering “why
me?’
“The doctors tell me I have between one and three years to live,”
30 Loren wrote in his blog shortly after his diagnosis. “So, boo-hoo,
poor me.”
Then, with grace, class and his signature sense of humor, Loren
showed the rest of us how to live to the max and die with dignity…
living each day with a grateful heart and a hopeful spirit.
Loren only got ten more months…but he filled his final days with
fun, family and a sense of purpose—using his health challenges
and high profile to help others with cancer and inspire thousands Donations are being accepted for the
through his touching blogs.
Nowhere was that inspiration more evident than at Loren’s cel- Loren Nancarrow Healing Garden. So
ebration of life service at Cardiff Beach. More than a thousand of far $250,000 has been raised. A goal of
us laughed, cried and comforted one another as paddlers formed $500,000 is needed to name the entire
a circle beyond the breakers and floated flowers in Loren’s honor. garden after Loren. This will help fund
Many believe it was Loren himself who ordered the spectacular
sunset that signaled his final goodbye. patient services, which honors Loren's
As the crowd dispersed, my media pals and I remained on the wish to help as many cancer patients
darkening beach. The memorial was over, but we weren’t ready as possible. It also honors his legacy
to leave, that’s when Jody Hammond, former News 8 reporter and and all that he gave to San Diego in
friend to Loren got an idea. She invited any of us who could to an the past 30 years.
impromptu gathering at her home to talk about and toast our TV
colleague. You can join in this effort by visiting
For hours, fifteen of us…all Loren’s co-workers over the years… this site and making a donation.
reminisced about our dear friend. We represented several local www.scripps.org/Loren
TV stations…Jim Laslavic from 7/39, Liz Purcell from News 8.
Photojournalist Mike Ineman, producer Janine Nakama and yours
truly were part of the 10 News contingent.
But that night—standing around Jody’s kitchen island—we may
as well have been from the same station. No matter where he
had worked, or with whom, Loren was loved. Through laughter
and tears, we shared countless touching and hilarious remem-
brances about the guy who transformed his home into a “ranch,”
from which he would report on every fruit, vegetable, herb and
critter known to man…a guy completely unafraid to dig deep into a
heap of compost or a heap of political controversy …the guy who
insisted on calling me “Clara Bow,” despite years of protestations.