Continuing the legacy of the woman whose giving spirit inspires our mission

Nancy Fleurette Maas was a true gift to the world. Born in Minneapolis, MN in 1933, she embodied joy, perseverance, a giving spirit, and just a touch of weird. Nancy wouldn’t be offended by us saying she was a little weird; in fact, she happily embraced the term. Nancy never wanted to be like anyone else, and we can safely say that she was unique. 

Nancy’s laughter filled the room. She laughed from the heart and sparked joy in everyone around her. Whether cracking a joke about needing her orangutan juice so she could monkey around all day, calling out “hubba, hubba, ding, ding” at what some may consider inappropriate times, or whistling a beautiful tune, Nancy made the most of every moment despite the hard times she so gracefully persevered.

Nancy’s giving spirit was with her even as she entered hospice care in 2005 after years of living with ovarian cancer. Hurricane Katrina had just torn through Louisiana and, despite the emotion of facing the final stages of her own life, Nancy enlisted her loved ones to help her with one last project: to make and sell bracelets of beads Nancy had collected over her lifetime, then donate the proceeds to Hurricane Katrina relief funds. Her vision became a reality and within weeks, Nancy met her donation goal. 

Fifteen years after her death, Nancy’s granddaughter was inspired to honor and continue the family legacy with a new project to raise funds through the sales of bracelets. All proceeds of the handcrafted bracelets are given to ovarian cancer research and support funds.