Nancy Margaret Pruden

Born on February 3, 1954 to Jack and Nancy Pruden. If the acts of this life are the destiny of the next, then Nancy arrived in heaven on November 30, 2005.

Click here for a Tribute to Nancy and her Art

Raleigh News and Observer

Nancy Margaret Pruden, 51, Glenhill Lane, Chapel Hill, died Monday morning Nov. 28th after enduring lung and brain cancer for three years. She is survived by her husband, Scott McLean; stepson, Lachlan Jake McLean; mother, Nancy Walker Pruden; brothers, Jess Bagwell, McMullan Pruden, and Walker Pruden; niece, Sophie Rose Pruden; nephews, Jack and Sam Pruden; cherished dogs, Buddy and Rachel. She was preceded in death by her father, Jack McMullan Pruden. Nancy received her BFA from UNC in 1984, and then worked the usual eclectic array of jobs to support her constant artistic endeavors. She produced much-loved oil paintings for 20 years. Her gentle but energetic presence enriched everyone around her. Her clever quick smile and bright laughing eyes were comforting and encouraging to us all. The delight and wonder she always brought with her made her universally embraced. We've lost one of our best; the remainder of us now have a harder lot ahead. A memorial service will be held at Forest Theater on the UNC campus on Sunday, December 4, at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, we request that contributions be sent to the NC Botanical Garden. Please indicate Battle Park Endowment in memory of Nancy Pruden.

From Goose:

She was always a real sweetheart, very nice person and a cool lady.

From René Sparrow:

Nancy spent the night one time with me and maybe Pam and Robin.

She was so funny - she told us about this great fight her parents had and she had us all in stitches....

I'm sure we were all sharing parent fights....she was very funny....

I remember running into her in Crooks Corner years later and she was still so cute, and cheery....

It always made you happy to be in her presence....

I'm sorry we won't get to see her at the reunion....she would have made it fun...

From Gail Darden Burchfiel:

The Pruden and Darden kids grew up together because our parents partied together back in the day.

We used to have slumber parties a lot back then. I remember one very particular one at Nancy’s house where we were packed into the living room, and we were lip singing all night long to the Supremes! It was great fun.

Nancy’s family had a wonderful cottage at Nags Head and I was fortunate one time to be invited down there to stay with her for a little while one summer. Beth McGowan was there as well. I have a picture of the three of us standing in front of the fireplace there. We were saluting for what reason I don’t know!

It was heaven and I will never forget how much fun we had. We used to get these big black inner tubes and take them into the water and just sit there for hours riding the waves, played kick the can at night, listened to a lot of music, James Taylor, Carol King I remember. Nancy was a lot of fun to be around and it was a happy time for her, and all of us.

Later, after she went off to school we lost touch, but I was lucky to reconnect with her later after I moved back to NC.

Nancy was a very gentle and private person who was passionate about her art, and gardening. The few times I would drop by to visit she was usually working in the yard and her home was always warm and welcoming.

Although I did not see her much in the years before she died, to this day I miss her. She was a very special person in my life, and I will always hold her in my heart.