Born: January 9, 1930, in St Joseph Children’s Hospital, Orange, Calif.
Died: January 4, 2025, in her sleep at home in McKinleyville

Nancy was the first child of Lyman and Catherine Farwell of Santa Ana. Her father was a farmer, investor, yachtsman, and businessman in the greater Los Angeles region. Her mother was a happy wife, mother, fellow investor, homemaker, yachtswoman and society matron.

She was born in Orange on January 9, 1930, she entered this world in the same hospital where, decades later, all four of her children would be born.

Nancy’s family raised orange trees on a 20-acre ranch with horses and other livestock in Santa Ana and later in Tustin. Nancy’s passion was riding across the fields and throughout the surrounding groves, and even west 20 miles to the waters and beaches of Balboa and Newport Harbor. The Farwells built a large New Orleans-style home on a Balboa peninsula property in 1936, next to properties her uncles owned and where they had built houses. That kept the Farwell families close, and anytime the cousins could play together by simply jumping the bulkheads separating them. Her entire family were experienced yachtsmen and sailors, cruising and racing the west coast from Canada to Mexico, stopping up and down the coast in all harbors for rest, even into Humboldt Bay, Trinidad Harbor and at Crescent City many times. Her father owned a series of yachts cruising to Catalina Island for weekends throughout the years, participating in several sailing races to Acapulco and the Hawaiian islands. Nancy joined as crew with her husband many times.

Nancy primary and high schooled in Southern California until going to Stephens College in Missouri in 1948-50, earning her AA degree. She started attending USC, until meeting her handsome and gentlemanly naval aviator husband, Robert Whiting Gurley, in autumn 1950. They married in 1951, honeymooning on Oahu in Hawaii, at the Royal Hawaiian. Robert was the only man for her.

Together they raised their four children on a 40-acre orange ranch south of Tustin, until selling in 1969, and moving to a new 80-acre citrus ranch near Indio. They successfully put all four children through college.

In 1978 they sold the desert ranch and moved to a small 3-acre avocado farm near Fallbrook, Calif. As 1988 arrived they sold again and with all the kids out on their own, moved back to Newport Beach to be near family, business interests, and friends. In 1995, since all four children had moved to Northern California, they decided to move north to a riverside dream home in Napa, to be closer and more involved in their six grandchildren’s lives. Napa was their dream retirement community where they built close lasting friendships with dear neighbors and the community. They enjoyed travel to foreign lands, cruising the Napa river in several successive Duffy electric boats, and spending time with their beloved children and grandchildren.

Robert passed away in 2014, and Nancy stayed put with her close neighbors and adored St Mary’s Episcopal church. By 2022, the years were catching up, and it was time to move again, with her youngest son as caregiver, to McKinleyville, to be near her daughters for support and better care.

Nancy has always been active in many organizations serving her communities. From symphony to light opera to service leagues, to various clubs, she helped as she could. She was an avid seamstress.

She was a lifelong churchgoer to any local Episcopal church. She was a staunch Republican until the last 10 years of her life, when she grew appalled at the change in that party and became an independent voter.

She enjoyed traveling with her husband, and houseboating on Trinity/Clair Engle lake, and Shasta Lake with her family.

No memorial is planned at this time. Her and her husband’s ashes will be scattered in a place where they enjoyed some of their favorite memories.

Nancy is survived by her four children, Geof and Barbi Gurley, of Los Osos, Calif; Kay Lenore Gurley and Peter Daggett, of Blue Lake; and Penelope T Gurley, and Robert L Gurley, both of McKinleyville. She is also survived by her six grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Her husband, her parents and grandparents, her sister and brother are waiting in heaven to greet her.

Nancy encourages any donations offered can be made to the Episcopal Church, Hospice of Humboldt, Caregiver support organizations, or the Nature Conservancy and Catalina Island Conservancy. She believes in being involved in your local and wider community, supporting causes that help neighbors and our fellow citizens thrive.

Her remains were cremated with the kind assistance of Ayres Family Crematorium, in Eureka.

Her favorite quote is that of Theodore Roosevelt: “…The credit goes to the ‘person’ who is actually in the Arena, Whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood…” She admired those who take risks — even when they fail, at least they tried.

We all love you, Mom and Dad.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Nancy Gurley’s loved ones. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here. Email news@lostcoastoutpost.com.