Nancy Lucy Rickards

Nancy “Nana” Rickards, of Edmond, OK, passed peacefully at 76 years old, the morning of January 21st. She is now in Heaven with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Nancy was born on June 12th, 1949, in Buffalo, NY.

Nancy is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Christopher and Mandy Hayward; as well as her grandchildren who were the light of her life and called her Nana; Jake Hayward and his wife Lauren, and Halle Hayward; her great-grandson, Luke Hayward, son of Jake and Lauren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Peter and Nancy Mirand; her brother, Jerry Mirand, and his wife, Pamela; and her nephew, Jeremiah Mirand. She was also preceded in death by many beloved animals: Homer, Odie, Indica, Kazmier, Isabella, Zhivago, and Vivaldi. Nancy is survived by Nancy Haley, her best friend and roommate, along with Mia, her most recent Akita rescue.

Nancy was an Office Manager for Flagstaff Emergency Physicians. Before that, she worked as a Medical Practice Manager in Mesa, Arizona and in California. While living in Oklahoma she also managed a practice. Her final job was J Jill where she made wonderful memories with special people.

If you knew Nancy, you knew how selfless, helpful, and loving she was to everyone she met. Most recently, she worked at J Jill where she was friends with every face she talked to. Everyone knew about Nancy. Her most unmatched skill was her cooking. Nancy offered cooking classes to her grandchildren, who always walked away smelling of garlic, and never empty-handed. Once you walked into Nancy’s life, you left with something, whether it was food, a memory, anything she was willing to give. Nancy was highly competitive and always up for a game night with friends or family.

A large part of Nancy’s life was surrounded by animals. She was a constant source of comfort to any animal whether they be abandoned, or afraid, new to the world. She offered not only a home to animals who appeared on her doorstep, quite literally during her time living in Flagstaff, but love and care everywhere she lived. Nancy’s generosity, warmth, and spirit live on through the people and animals whose lives she touched. Nana will be greatly missed by friends and family.