1970

Nancy Marie Mazza ’70 was a proud third-generation Irish-Italian San Franciscan. Born on Sept. 15, 1948, she attended St. Cecilia’s elementary, St. Rose Academy, and SCU, was a zealous Giants fan, a successful real estate broker, and a businesswoman for more than 40 years who had a wide circle of friends, colleagues, and family. She was a grammarian, so this obituary had better be written and punctuated perfectly. Nancy was an outstanding realtor of the highest integrity whose clients never forgot the incredible skill and service she provided. They would return to her 20 years or more after she first had helped them buy or sell a home. Nancy’s colleagues also held her in high esteem and have already held a memorial service to which they wore either Giants attire (Nance’s favorite) or the bright, tropical colors she favored in sometimes dreary San Francisco. Beyond real estate, Nance’s top skill was her ability to make and maintain friendships. She was still in close contact with friends from grade school and high school, and most especially, SCU. She and seven close women friends from Santa Clara took trips together annually, celebrated holidays and special birthdays, as well as 50 years of knowing one another. She could go nowhere in San Francisco or environs, or even Europe, without running into friends and colleagues who knew and loved her and with whom she had a special bond around neighborhood, school, the Catholic Church, the Giants, being a native San Franciscan, or realtor. Consensus was Nancy Mazza was naturally the nicest, kindest person who ever lived. She was a loyal and generous supporter of her University, the National Center for Lesbian Rights and other gay and lesbian organizations, various Catholic charities, and the Democratic party and its candidates. She intended to support any Democrat who could unseat Donald Trump. Nancy structured her life exactly as she wanted it—she worked as hard and as much as she wished, ensuring she had plenty of free time to attend her beloved Giants games, travel to Italy, Mexico, France and elsewhere, practice Italian, spend time with friends and family, eat at excellent restaurants, and watch the Giants on the road—did we mention she LOVED the Giants? Nancy died in her sleep in the early morning hours of May 1, 2019, while on vacation in Carmel-by-the-Sea, celebrating her dear partner’s 70th birthday. She was to have written her own obituary because she knew just what she wanted said about her wonderful self and was a habitual reader of obituaries in the Chronicle, which, in her circle, were referred to as the “Irish sports page.” Nancy was the daughter of Angelo and Dorothy (Dot Boyle) Mazza, who predeceased her. Her uncle, Monsignor Gene Boyle, of whom she was especially fond, also preceded her in death. She is survived and mourned by her wife of 22 years, Susan Hogeland, and brothers Tom (Gladys) and Jim (Sandi) Mazza and their children Jason, Sean (Jenn) and David (Meredith) and Melanie, respectively, and many great-nieces and great-nephews on the Mazza side. She was beloved by Susan’s sister, Linda Wood, niece Allie Wood-Plihal (David), and children Grace, Thomas, and Olivia, nephews Chip Wood, Daniel Keeton, David Kleman (Kim), and nieces Darcy Kleman and Sally Walker (David).

21 Aug 2019