Introduction

To the Morgenstern family,

As I read the entries in the guestbook, my memories of Nancy come back with a rush of emotion. The first day I met Nancy she came in for a job interview and I thought to myself, Boy, this girl really has it together. I was blessed to have been her co-worker for eight years. We sat side by side. I cannot express to you how wonderful she was. Nancy was one of the most thoughtful, disciplined, funny, crazy, independent women I ever knew. She was a role model that proved again and again that you can experience life and still retain your family values and beliefs. She loved you all. I have over the years heard stories about all of you as well as seen pictures, and I can say that her family was the most important thing in her life. We always joked that our Chana Perl (pardon the spelling) was more of a Cantor employee than a Tzell travel agent. We all wished her well. I will always remember the Orthodox girl who could ride/ski circles around the rest of us while eating a can of tuna. That’s my Nancy. My prayers are with you all.

Shannon Santiago

PEOPLE HAVE ASKED us why we want to publish this portrait of our daughter Nancy. It is because Nancy was a remarkable woman, and there is a lot to learn from her—caring, friendship, selflessness, passion, joy, integrity, love of family, and deep faith. She was an inspiration to others, personifying a host of values that many of us either ignore or just pay lip service to. While most people are lucky to have a talent for one of these qualities, Nancy embodied them all. She was a woman who from a narrow perspective did her own thing yet managed to impress people in all walks of life.