Nanette Hedrick Songer
Nanette Hedrick Songer
Nanette Hedrick Songer, 68, passed away on October
7, 2014, in Boise, Idaho, with her family at her side. She was born December 23, 1945, in Malad City,
the first of four children, born to Clarence & Beth S. Hedrick. Her
dad’s work took the family to St. Anthony, Rexburg, Vale, and finally Twin
Falls, which she always considered home.
As the oldest child, she felt a lifelong responsibility to keep a
watchful eye on her siblings, providing help and guidance (even when they were
reluctant recipients). Growing up, she
spent many weekends at the family cabin at Boulder Mountain View north of
Ketchum, which remained a favorite location throughout her life. Nanette took pride in being a 4
th
generation Idahoan and was an avid Idaho historical collector of books and
memorabilia. She graduated from Twin
Falls High School in 1964 and attended the University of Utah, Gonzaga
University, and Portland State University, graduating with a degree in Middle
Eastern Studies. Nanette married James
E. Songer, in 1969 and worked at JBL&K and Unigard Insurance as their first
female outside claims adjuster in the country to do on-site evaluations. In
support of Jim and his work, they traveled and lived internationally for many
years, residing in London, Belgium, & France as well as traveling
frequently to Southeast Asia and the Middle East, with Portland as home base. Nanette enjoyed her overseas adventures; and
through their generosity, Nanette & Jim made it possible for family members
to travel internationally as well.
Family and friends alike were lucky recipients of treasures and gifts,
domestic & from abroad. Nanette was
an avid reader and very knowledgeable about world affairs, both current and
historical. She was “engaged in the
world” all of her life. In 1983, she
graduated from law school at Gonzaga University where she excelled and served
on Law Review. She continued her studies
in London, receiving her LLM degree in Maritime Law from the London School of
Economics in 1986. She worked as an
attorney in family law in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, as well as for the DeBandt Law Firm
in Brussels. Upon her return to the
States in 1990, she did pro bono legal counseling for the veterans and underprivileged
as well as working in corporate law for some time. She was a member of the Washington DC bar,
the Pennsylvania Bar, and an active member of the Idaho Bar Association.
Nanette had a wide range of interests including
reading, gardening, cooking, entertaining, genealogy, quilting, sewing, collecting
Idaho/Native American items as well as beautiful & unique items from her
travels, and “monitoring” the experiences & perspectives of her adored
nieces & nephews. Attention to
detail and thorough investigation/research of a topic or endeavor were her
trademarks. She understood the value of
real estate and invested wisely. Nanette
was very fond of the Oregon Coast and enjoyed time at their beach house at
Neskowin. She became the steward of family photos and
historical documents, realizing the importance of passing on the stories and
adventures of her pioneer ancestors who settled the Idaho territory. Probably her most favorite activity was
helping people who were in need of support in their education, healthcare,
living situation, business venture, or traveling to see family. She often referred to this as “a Winnie”, in
honor of her paternal grandmother who, like Nanette, quietly & discreetly,
while preserving the recipient’s dignity, helped someone in need. Many a person and project benefitted from her
generosity and interest once she learned of a need. She was the “invisible helping hand.” It was paramount for her to stay in touch and
help friends and acquaintances as well as older relatives who were not always
able to manage independently. She
maintained a positive and optimistic outlook, always making plans for her next
project or travel destination. She
appreciated and loved her family, immediate and extended, and endeavored to pass
along the values and lessons she had learned from her parents and from her own
expansive life experiences.
She is survived by her husband of 45 years, Jim, two
brothers, Wally (Jerrie) Hedrick, Howard (Antonia) Hedrick, her sister, Suzanne
(Tom) Gillespie, all of Boise; her
brother-in-law, Paul Songer of Seattle.
She also is survived by her nieces and nephews whom she mentored and
adored: Ann Neil, Ryan Hedrick, Hallie
Ward, Tim & Clare Hedrick, Anne-Marie & Cara Gillespie, as well as her great
nieces & nephews. She maintained close ties with her cousins and valued
their friendship. She was preceded in death by her parents,
numerous aunts & uncles, in-laws and Chula, her feline friend of many
years. The family wishes to acknowledge
and thank Dr.’s Nicolas Carulli (Portland) & Sharon Oster, Jeff Demond, P.T.,
the dedicated staffs of St. Luke’s intensive care units for their expert care
and support, especially her nurses Tim, Annie, & Trish.
A funeral service will be held at Alden-Waggoner
Funeral Home, 5400 Fairview Avenue, on Saturday, October 11 at 9:30 AM with
private interment at Morris Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be sent to The College
of Southern Idaho Foundation, PO Box 1238, Twin Falls, ID 83303-1238, for the
Clarence Hedrick Memorial Agricultural Scholarship or The Beth Hedrick Education
Scholarship. Nanette’s legacy is her
accomplished generosity to all her life touched.
She will be greatly missed but her
unforgettable essence & influence will live on
.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Nanette Hedrick Songer, please visit our flower store.
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