Nancy Pollock Coulter, 80, the 2009 Santa Clarita Valley Woman of the Year, died Wednesday, Aug. 28, of a heart attack.
Coulter, a 56-year resident of the Santa Clarita Valley, was known for her tireless volunteer work with the American Cancer Society, Santa Clarita Unit for more than two decades, Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, Santa Clarita Chamber of Commerce and Providence Medical Center.
She was recognized for her volunteer work in the Santa Clarita Valley with the 2009 Santa Clarita Valley Woman of the Year award and the 2018 Carmen Sarro Community Service Award presented by the Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley.
“Nancy Coulter was an amazing, caring, helpful, committed, generous woman, always there to help people and always working for the greater good,” said Santa Clarita Councilwoman Laurene Weste. “It was blessing for me to have known her. She led the way to help people understand and get involved in the fight against cancer.”
She was born Jan. 9, 1944 in Chicago and was adopted as an infant. She grew up in Downers Grove, Ill.
She met her husband of 51 years Cameron Coulter when they were neighbors in Canyon Country. They were married Aug. 17, 1973.
Among her many accomplishments was serving as SCV ACS president nine times. Her volunteer work with SCV ACS also included: Daffodil Days chair/co-chair 11 years, Speakers’ Bureau 15 years, Los Angeles Region Legislative Ambassador four years, chair of 11 Relay For Life committees, Road To Recovery driver six years, Breast Cancer committee four years, Leadership Retreat chair four years, Jazz ‘n Blues fund-raiser organizer five years and Art Show committee two years.
“Losing Nancy is such a loss for our community and for all of us on the Man and Woman of the Year committee,” said Joyce Carson, 2001 Woman of the Year. “She was such a deserving SCV Woman of the Year. And she was such a warrior with the American Cancer Society. I first met her as an employee of the Sulphur Springs School District where she was a wonderful librarian to the children of Valley View Elementary School.”
Coulter was a SCV ACS Relay For Life Team Captain 14 years, Health Fair Facilitator 16 years, lead volunteer on the Fight Back Express advocacy event, Annual Awards Dinner chair 12 years, Los Angeles Region annual awards presenter, Relay For Life state level facilitator and keynote speaker, Chamber of Commerce health committee four years and Valley Industry Association representative three years.
Coulter was chair of the first SCV Chamber Health and Wellness Fair. She received recognition from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and a Special Recognition Award from the SCV Chamber.
She served on the Henry Mayo Cancer Committee three years where she was instrumental in the committee receiving the Outreach and Education Programs Commendation from the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer in 2006.
“We lost a champion, a hero, and a beacon of heavenly light and love yesterday,” said Janine Jones, a former member of the American Cancer Society’s SCV Leadership Council, Carmen Sarro Community Service Award honoree presented by the Zonta Club of the Santa Clarita Valley. “A champion for the American Cancer Society who tirelessly spread its mission “to save lives and cure cancer,” as an active board member and dedicated volunteer for over 25 years. She touched so many people with her positive outlook on life and generous spirit.”
Coulter served as the ACS representative to the Providence Woman to Woman Health Care Professionals’ Group and worked to organize and set up the Providence Cancer Information Room in the SCV Cancer Center.
Coulter was named four times as SCV ACS Volunteer of the Year. She has also received Awards for Income Development, Mission Delivery, Cancer Control, Rookie of the Year, Relay For Life, Gala and Daffodil Days Committee work. She has twice received the Special Recognition Award. Her most recent award was being named as the SCV American Cancer Society Volunteer of the Decade.
“Nancy Coulter was the human embodiment of love. She lived to love others, her precious family, her community and every worthy cause she fiercely supported,” said Diana Sevanian, Support Services Care Manager at the SCV Senior Center and ACS volunteer. “Her kindness, genuineness, optimism and resilience, were her hallmarks. Ironically, she entered earliest childhood as an orphan, given up for adoption. It was the unconditional love and nurturing of a waiting, childless couple that rescued her and gave her a lasting foundation from which to love herself and others.”
Coulter served on the SCV Leadership Council 17 years and as head of that group organized and hosted a meeting of SCV non-profit cancer groups to better serve and provide programs and services to cancer survivors in the SCV.
She began her volunteer work with the Santa Clarita ACS after her daughter Heather Warrick was diagnosed with cancer. Warrick died in 2013 after a 19-year battle with breast cancer.
Coulter and Warrick, who worked as the Unit Director of Corporate Healthcare Initiatives for the SCV ACS,, are credited with putting the SCV ACS on the map for being a leading chapter in fundraising, programs, outreach and community support.
“I met Nancy when I started volunteering for the American Cancer Society about 22 years ago,” said Teresa Kerr. “She was warm and welcoming, always taking time to make sure I felt appreciated. She exemplified volunteerism in her daily activities, dedicating so much of her time to building a community around cancer awareness in the Santa Clarita Valley. While her daughter’s personal battle with the disease started Nancy’s ACS journey, she never turned her back on anyone else who needed her help. From heading our ACS Council, to walking laps at Relay For Life, Nancy became synonymous with ‘fighting back.’ Her legacy will live on, but her bright smile will be missed every day.”
Coulter also served as co-chair of the 2010 Man and Woman of the Year Recognition Event, Paparazzi Party and Annual Meeting and was a member of the Man and Woman of the Year Committee until her death.
Among Coulter’s other volunteer activities:
Helped set up the Boys and Girls Club Festival of Trees for six years.
SCV Joshua Tree Council Girl Scout leader/co-leader.
Sulphur Springs School District PTA 10 years holding several offices which earned her the California PTA Life Time Membership Award.
For many years she taught community elementary after school programs in music, art, puppetry and crafts.
Coulter also received awards as an American Red Cross SCV Home Town Hero, Longaberger Woman of Service and was three times named the American Cancer Society nominee for Zonta Woman of the Year. She was recognized by the SCV Elks Lodge 2379 for her Outstanding Community Service on behalf of the American Cancer Society.
Coulter held numerous jobs during her lifetime including as school librarian, music consultant/instructor, art consultant/instructor, freelance graphic artist, medical assistant, instructional aide, account clerk and working in a newspaper art department.
She is survived by her husband Cameron, son Scott Clelland (Missy), daughter Dawn Poirier (Al), grandchildren Hayden Clelland (Laura), Alexis Anninos, Madison Benveniste (Neil), Kennedy Poirier, Lincoln Poirier and Landon Poirier and great-grandchildren Brooklyn Benveniste and Ford Benveniste.
“She wasn’t just an incredible mother, wife and grandmother; she was an absolute pillar of our community,” said her granddaughter, Madison. “Heavily involved in the American Cancer Society, SCV Woman of the Year winner, chair of countless community fundraisers, Zonta award winner and too many others to list. More importantly, she was truly an amazing person and friend. She touched so many lives, making every single person she met feel genuinely loved and special.”
Because of the impact Coulter’s life had in the SCV and the hundreds of friends she made during her work with the American Cancer Society, a Celebration of Life will be held Saturday Sept. 14 from 1-5 p.m. at the Hyatt Regency Valencia, 24500 Town Center Drive, Valencia, CA 91355.
Nancy Coulter, a 25-year volunteer for American Cancer Society, and a seven-year president of the local chapter, has received the Carmen Sarro Community Service Award from Zonta Club of the Santa Clarita Valley
Seventeen outstanding community volunteers have been nominated by local non-profit organizations to be honored at the annual Women in Service Celebration sponsored by Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley.
Nancy Lulejian Starczyk was named the 38th Assembly District “Woman of the Year” by Assemblyman Dante Acosta, R-Santa Clarita.
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