As Nancy Koppelman lay in her hospital bed at Cottage recovering from chemotherapy, she played me a message from our former president, Barack Obama. With a catch in his voice, he shared how sorry he was to hear that she was ill — that she probably had all the love she needed, but if he could do anything, or if she needed to talk, he was available. I was gobsmacked by the message, but Nancy just gleamed and winked as if to say, “Oh, that’s so Barry.” Not a moment later, the oncologist walked in, and she turned her beaming smile toward him. When he asked her how it was going, she replied, “What’s not to love about room service and a great view?” And immediately I could see why he made special visits to Nancy’s room. Her gratitude for life itself was contagious.
Nancy Walker Koppelman, born June 4, 1954, in Anaheim, California, to Velma Koontz Walker and Ross Walker, died peacefully at home on May 26, 2017. She is survived by her husband, Larry, her heart’s purest love; daughter Renée; her brother, James Walker; nephew Tru Phillips; rescue dogs Jasper and Thea; and literally hundreds who claim her as their best friend.
Nancy was known for her relentless quest for social justice and her persuasive progressive vision. Her passion for social equality began when she was a college student working in the women’s health-care movement. In the early 1970s, not long after the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark Roe v. Wade abortion ruling, she helped create the feminist health-care clinic, many of which distributed speculums and encouraged women to examine their cervix. In 2007, Koppelman became a member of the Democratic National Committee. She served on President Obama’s national finance and election committee from the very beginning and throughout his time in office.
