Nancy Free died yesterday, and she was my friend.
We met while I was doing a story in Carbondale several years ago, one of those people you instantly liked. We had a lot in common. Brother Gene, who left us several years ago, was in radio. Brother Jim is in radio in upstate New York. She wrote for newspapers and was an avid photographer. I was in radio and I'm a bit of a shutterbug myself.
Nancy was famous for photographing eagles and posting them on Facebook. That's one of her photos above. She also was in Carbondale for every Independence Night celebration and that's one of her photos below.
No one knew more about Carbondale, and no one loved it more. Nancy frequently sent messages tipping me off to something happening in the city, and it was always good news. Nothing negative. That is the type of a woman Nancy was.
There were a few times I stopped in to the Eynon Burger King that she managed before moving on to other challenges. Most of our contact was on-line. Nancy read this blog every day and put a link to it on her Facebook page, providing me with hits I ordinarily wouldn't have.
Nancy had a few health problems over the years. Cancer was a recent diagnosis, and the disease took her quickly. I hope her last days were peaceful and pain free.
Nancy Free loved her family, her pets, her friends, trips to Merli-Sarnoski Park, photography expeditions in the country-- where she enjoyed shooting old barns, and so much more. I am lucky she was part of my life.
