Mountain Views News          Saturday, October 10, 2015

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Mountain Views-News Saturday, October 10, 2015 


REMEMBRANCE


NANCY LEE DOYLE

September 19, 1933 – September 24, 2015

Nancy Lee Whittemore was born September 19, 
1933 to Mr. and Mrs. Marion C. Whittemore 
of Redlands, California. Nancy came into 
this world facing adversity with the cards 
stacked against her. In the first 2 months of 
life, she suddenly became very ill. Her doctors 
discovered that her heart and liver were on the 
wrong side of her body, coupled with a small 
hole in her diaphragm. These complications had 
caused her intestines to shift upward, crushing 
her heart and lungs, pushing her appendix up 
under her shoulder blade. In December of 1933 
she was operated on at Redlands Community 
Hospital by two surgeons who placed her 
organs back into a normal position. This 
successful surgery made Nancy famous and 
she was referred to by the media as the “Upside 
Down Baby”. The surgery was published in the 
Journal of The American Medical Association 
as it was the first time a baby had survived this 
type of surgery. She was a miracle baby and 
lived to recently celebrate her 82nd birthday.

Nancy grew up in the San Francisco Bay area. 
Her desire to be an artist was evident very early 
in her life. Since the age of 3, she was always 
seen with a pencil and a sketchpad, constantly 
drawing pictures. Her formal education was at 
San Jose State University where she majored in 
commercial art. Her aunt, a professional artist 
herself, tutored Nancy through college, where 
she studied life drawing, design and fashion 
illustration. Unlike her aunt who preferred 
pastels, oils and watercolor, Nancy preferred 
expressing herself in pencil. She began 
experimenting with Prismacolor wax pencils 
early in her career, creating such special effects 
that people would think her drawings were 
actual photographs. 

On May 12, 1962, Nancy married the love of her 
life, John L. Doyle, at the Wayfarer’s Chapel in 
Palos Verdes, California. They had their first 
and only child, Kelley Ann, on November 7, 
1963. They built a home in Glendale, California, 
and threw 17 years of great parties. She loved 
her Scotch, and her favorite food of all time 
was definitely potatoes. Even though she didn’t 
enjoy cooking, people would fight over her 
Lemon Meringue Pie. 

In 1981, Nancy moved to her beloved Sierra 
Madre, where she lived for the next 34 years. 
She worked for the Arcadia Medical Clinic, 
and after retiring, began volunteering at 
the Monrovia Police Department. She also 
volunteered for the Pasadena Humane Society, 
and was an active volunteer for the Pasadena 
Playhouse. Her biggest joy was her involvement 
with the Friends of the Sierra Madre Library’s 
annual Fine Arts Fair. In addition to being an 
exhibitor, she was on the Exhibits Committee, 
acting as a juror and new talent scout. 

Nancy was a Signature Artist with Women 
Artists of the West, a prestigious art 
organization representing talented women 
artists in the Western United States. Nancy was 
recognized with many awards and participated 
in various art shows since the 1960’s, including 
The Sawdust Festival and ArtAFair in Laguna 
Beach, The Beverly Hills Art Show, The Sierra 
Madre Art Fair, Indian Wells Art Show and The 
Southwest Arts Festival in Indio. 

Nancy was well loved and respected in the 
art community, and her works hang in many 
private collections. Art was within her soul, 
and her work transcended every boundary 
of ethnicity; young children in a carefree 
world, people reflecting in their thoughtful 
moments, American Indian portraits, and her 
newest love...horses. She did not discriminate 
her subjects, and through the medium of her 
art, her spirit was connected with all of the 
indigenous human beings in the world. 

Nancy leaves behind her legacy to her only 
daughter Kelley Doyle Hanna and grandson 
Taylor Hanna. Her Celebration of Life will 
be held on Sunday, October 18, at 2:00pm 
at Madeline’s Garden, 1030 E. Green Street, 
Pasadena, California. A small representation 
of Nancy’s art will be displayed and auctioned, 
with proceeds going to La Salle High School of 
Pasadena’s Visual Arts Program. 

In lieu of flowers, please send donations in 
Nancy’s memory to the American Diabetes 
Association. 

http://main.diabetes.org/goto/Nancy_Doyle

Walking Sierra Madre…The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis


“Dear Great Pumpkin, I am looking 
forward to your arrival on Halloween 
night.

 I hope you will bring me lots of presents. 
Linus van Pelt” 

Charles Schulz

“There is no season when such pleasant 
and sunny spots may be lighted on, and 
produce so pleasant an effect on the 
feelings, as now in October.” 

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Even though Charles Schulz, creator 
of the immortal Peanuts has changed 
his address to heaven, his kids, Charlie 
Brown, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, 
Sally and Linus still show up in our 
newspapers, which is a good thing. 
What would Fall be like without Lucy 
holding the football for Charlie Brown, 
promising that this time she won’t yank 
it away at the last minute, leaving him 
flat on his back with all the air punched 
out of him. Or Linus sitting out in the 
pumpkin patch with Sally, Charlie 
Brown or Snoopy, convinced that if his 
pumpkin patch is the most sincere pumpkin patch 
that the Great Pumpkin will rise up with his bag 
of toys and bestow gifts upon him. His friends are 
skeptical. We probably would be, too.

 The giant pumpkins on our street, which have 
been growing steadily toward monster status, have 
all been gathered and put away until Halloween 
when they will emerge again as black widow spider 
heads and bodies, Cinderella’s carriage and all kinds 
of fanciful creations. Scarecrows are increasing all 
over town and the tour Creative Arts is planning 
for Sunday, October 10th, to see them all should be 
an excellent time. What a clever bunch we Sierra 
Madreans are! Speaking of scarecrows, let me 
introduce Sylvie Madre, pictured here, a member 
of The Secret Bookers Book Club. She says her life is 
an open book, she’s traveled the world through the 
pages of classics, biographies and historical fiction. 
She also warns us: Don’t stop reading or your brain 
will turn to straw! Sylvie is #11.

 Speaking of reading, the In-N-Out reading 
program is available at our library for children 4 to 
12. Each little reader can earn one free hamburger 
certificate for every five books they read (up to 3 
free burgers) while supplies last. This offer is now 
through November 14th. Our library is wonderful, 
btw. 

 Last Saturday evening was an absolutely perfect 
(cooler than last year) time for the Wine, Rhythm 
and Brews event, which was a great success. They 
had more people this year than last which means 
more money raised. The Spero Foundation who puts 
this event on is a non-profit corporation founded by 
professional folks from our own community whose 
philosophy is there is no greater gift than the gift 
of giving to a neighbor, a friend and/or an entire 
community. The list of those who have benefited 
from their efforts include our local hospital, cancer 
treatment and research center, food banks; and a 
number of other local organizations. If you weren’t 
there, you missed out! Folks wandered through 
town sampling beer, wine and delicious appetizers 
from most of our local restaurants. There was 
music in several locations and even a little dancing 
in Kersting Court to some nifty rock. The silent 
auction was a hit as most of the items went quickly. 
The car buffs were happy, too, as the Mustang 
Classic Car Club lined Sierra Madre Blvd. with 
their gorgeous, pampered beauties. A great time 
and very successful. 

 And then it rained! Yes, late Saturday night! 
What a wonderful sound to hear rain hitting the 
leaves of the avocado tree outside our window. The 
sprinklers are off for a few days and it was nice to 
wear a sweater walking Sierra Madre this morning. 
We need to enjoy it fast, though, as it’s supposed to 
be in the 90’s again by Saturday. Ugh! Meantime, 
the clouds wandering through our sky are fantastic. 
Have a great week and watch for scarecrows!

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis

Blog: www.authordeanne.com

 “Tablespoon of Love, Tablespoon of Laughter” is 
available there…

An excellent wedding gift. Teachers would love it, 
too!


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com