Nancy Best

Nancy Stephanie Waddell Best was born in Wilmington, NC on March 21, 1946 to John L. Waddell, Sr. and Elsie Long Waddell. She was the younger of two siblings including her older brother John L. Waddell, Jr. The Waddell family relocated to Staten Island, NY during Nancy’s childhood where she had fond memories of spending time with them, her best friend nicknamed Cookie, and playing with the family’s miniature German Shepherd Duke. Her relationship with Duke inspired a lifelong love of dogs and having them as fur family members over the years. Nancy graduated from Curtis High School in Staten Island, NY in 1963 and went on to attend North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC in 1964. She graduated from A&T in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. During her nursing career spanning from 1968-1981 she provided compassionate care for patients in several healthcare settings including Flower-Fifth Avenue Hospital (Manhattan), Queens Hospital Center, Staten Island Hospital, Silver Lake Nursing Home (Staten Island), and St. Vincent’s Medical Center (Staten Island). Throughout Nancy’s life she was a loving, highly principled, and extraordinarily supportive and loyal person who embodied a great passion for many things, often translating these passions for the benefit of others.

Nancy’s passion centered around her family. The incredible love story between Nancy and her husband Eugene Best all started with a yearbook photo. Upon seeing Nancy’s college yearbook photo, Eugene knew that she was the one for him. After a courtship of four and half years, Nancy and Eugene married in 1974 in Church of the Assumption on Staten Island. They began their married life in Queens but made Staten Island their home within the first few years of starting a family together. Nancy and Eugene were blessed with three “strong-named” daughters, Jennifer Lauren (born in 1975), Victoria Alison (born in 1978), and Rebecca Rachel (born in 1981). Nancy enthusiastically encouraged her children to pursue their dreams and to value education. She was very proud of their unique accomplishments and shared achievement of graduating from college (Jennifer: Harvard University; Victoria: MIT; Rebecca: Berkeley College, Manhattan). Nancy was a loving and devoted spouse to Eugene for over 47 years. Both she and Eugene always lit up when seeing or conversing with or about their grandson Logan (Webb). They wanted to encourage Logan’s natural interest in science and technology by regularly sending him STEM toys for his birthday and Christmas.

Nancy’s passion centered around her relatives and friends. Nancy was very proud of her brother John’s service in the military as a Marine and deeply appreciated their strong and loving sibling bond. Nancy and Eugene served as loving and dedicated caregivers to her Mom Elsie in her later years. Nancy found her forever friends with the “nursing sisters” she met in college at A&T: Edith (Carver) Millsaps, Barbara (Richardson) Simpson, Ethel (Christmas) Logan, Ella (Hallowell) Jackson, and Linda Bass. The group planned regular reunions with their own spouses and children over the years (e.g., at a Pocono Mountain resort). Similarly, Nancy thoroughly enjoyed being a valued presence in both the lives of her extended family (Waddells and Longs) and the Best family through marriage, regularly visiting them in various parts of the country including NY and NC and attending the Best Family Reunions. She also maintained enduring relationships with former neighbors and friends on Staten Island (e.g., the Santiago Family, the Gore Family, the Su Family, etc.) and in Queens (e.g., the Logan Family). A birthday or holiday could not go unrecognized without a thoughtful card faithfully arriving in the mail from Nancy. She also treasured the cards she received from others and held onto them as precious keepsakes.

Nancy’s passion centered around her creative endeavors. Nancy was her family’s dedicated photography maven who was always eager to capture and document family life in photos. In doing so, she had her “fourth child”, a Polaroid camera in the early years and later on her Canon camera and lenses routinely in tow. Nancy also took pride in sewing clothes for the girls when they were younger and in knitting various creations later in life. After transitioning from the nursing field, she pursued several entrepreneurial enterprises including authoring a sci-fi book and developing inventions. Savoring Nancy’s delicious homemade peach cobbler was a highlight of holiday dinners.

Nancy’s passion centered around her hobbies. Nancy was an avid sports fan and could regularly be found watching basketball, tennis, and golf on tv and on occasion attending the US Open in New York. Indeed, she would not miss the opportunity to root on Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs or the Williams sisters. She also enjoyed playing tennis and going swimming and bowling through the years. Nancy not only faithfully shuttled her children to and from their dance classes and athletic events but she was also their biggest cheerleader in the stands at basketball and soccer games, tennis matches, and track meets. During the summers she ensured the girls also had fun swimming at the local pool on Staten Island and participating in the NYC Parks & Recreation tennis lessons with annual trips to Central Park. Nancy, Eugene, and the girls could frequently be found in the theater whether taking in the latest sci-fi blockbuster or Broadway play or musical. She also delighted in good food including her favorite handmade pizza from local F&J’s Pizzeria on Staten Island, delicious sweets (e.g., strawberry Twizzlers, malted milk balls, buttercrunch toffee, Carvel ice cream birthday cakes), along with Caribbean (e.g., Jamaican meat pies and roti) and Asian cuisine (e.g., Chinese and Filipino dishes). Nancy had an adventurous spirit and enjoyed traveling to exciting locales both near and far. During her life her travels took her to exploring parts of Europe (e.g., London, Paris, Rome, and Madrid) prior to marriage, to Canada, the Bahamas, and Bermuda early after marrying, and to St. Lucia for the wedding of Jennifer to Bruce (Webb). Nancy and Eugene also loved their adventures traveling regularly to Walt Disney World with the girls and later to visit them as adults living in Massachusetts, California, and other parts of the United States. In addition to taking photos, Nancy was quite a dedicated collector of her signature style of bucket hats and souvenir t-shirts (e.g., Hard Rock Café) from her and/or her daughters’ travels worn as valued mementos of these experiences. She made sure to stay tuned into current events and the goings on of the world and politics by not being too far from a radio or tv.

Nancy’s core passion was for her faith. Nancy was a devout catholic who ensured that her children were raised with a strong foundation in Christian values. She and her family were long-time parishioners of Church of the Assumption and St. Peter’s Church on Staten Island. When she could no longer attend mass in person, she religiously tuned in to participate in the service broadcasted on tv. In addition to relying on the support of her family and friends, her own inner strength was bolstered by turning to her faith as a resource. So even when her chronic illness was taking hold of her physical health and when her soulmate Eugene and dear brother John suddenly passed away, she remained determined to continue to live her life with meaning and purpose. She modeled how one’s faith can nurture a peace of mind and a resolve that transcends even the most difficult life challenges and perseveres through major adversity.

On March 14th, 2022 God called Nancy home to be with Him in heaven. Nancy and Eugene were once again reunited for all eternity.

Nancy is preceded in death by her parents; her Waddell Family Aunts: Edna Mae Mosley and Marvis McCrimmon; her Waddell Family Uncles: Willard, Walter, Alonzo, Cornelius, Charlie, Floyd, Ralph, and James; her Long Family Aunts: Julia Mae Ross and Edith Perry; her Long Family Uncles: John, Sr. and Kemp; her brother John, Jr.; her Long Family Cousins: Jewel Dowdy, Alton, Liz Petaway, John, Jr., Peggy Ross, Donald Ross, and John Collins Ross; her Waddell Family Cousins: Hubert and Kimberley; her niece Tara Mangin; her nursing sisters Barbara and Linda; and her beloved husband Eugene. To continue her legacy, Nancy is survived by her children: Jennifer Webb, Victoria Best, and Rebecca Best; her son-in-law Bruce Webb and her grandson Logan Webb; her nieces Heather (Best) Miller, Tiffany Waddell, and Daphne Waddell; her nephew Donald “Donny” Best, Jr.; her cousins Elizabeth Ross, Dennis Ross, Deborah McCrimmon, Ricky McCrimmon, Guy Waddell, Cornelius Waddell, Helen (Waddell) Kale, Carolyn Evonne (Waddell) Atkins, Cedric Waddell, Ruchadina Waddell, Gregory Waddell, Kevin Waddell, Marsee Waddell, Craig Waddell, and James Waddell, II; her sisters-in-law Gina Best and Wilhemina Waddell; her nursing sisters Edith, Ethel, and Ella along with other relatives, friends, neighbors, and ex-coworkers.