Who was Elizabeth Nash?
by Christine Nash, Elizabeth's sister
My sister Liz was many things to me: best friend, mentor, #1 cheerleader, inspiration, and constant reminder of what's really important in life. Given her impact on me, I often think about how to share who she was with the new people in my life who never got a chance to meet her. It's a challenging task.
Liz was an optimistic woman who defined herself by what she could do, not what limited her. In all of her pursuits, she appreciated depth... of knowledge and of experience.
Liz earned a PhD in genetics although she knew her health would likely prevent her from pursuing a long term career in laboratory bench science.
She became a fan of Lance Armstrong following his bout with cancer and his first Tour De France win in 1999. By 2001 she was actively handicapping the race sending family members emails regarding her predictions for the top 10 finishers.
Rather than give up a passion, she got portable oxygen tanks she could carry in her backpack while she skied the mountains of Utah.
Liz once missed a flight because she didn't hear the boarding announcement. She was totally engulfed in reading a magazine about the Utah Jazz.
When she became interested in chess again in her late 20s, playing online or with roommates wasn't good enough. She decided to go down to the local Russian cultural center to play with some of the best chessmasters in San Francisco.
In the early '90s, Liz began keeping a quote book. Thumbing through this book is like reading a Cliff Notes version on what Lizzy valued: humility, perseverance, discipline, accountability, and a strong sense of purpose. Liz believed we all had a responsibility to do what we could to make the world a better place. Despite a rigorous health maintenance routine, she made time to serve as the research advisory chair for Cystic Fibrosis Research Inc. (CFRI), to mentor a local adolescent with CF, and to always recycle, even if it meant stockpiling items for weeks until she was healthy enough to make the trip downstairs to the recycling bins in her apartment building. She did what she could, and expected others would do the same.
Who was Elizabeth Nash? Liz was a scientist, an artist, a musician, a skier, a basketball fan, and a volunteer who happened to have Cystic Fibrosis. That was how she thought about it, and that was what made her such an inspiration.
by Christine Nash, Elizabeth's sister
My sister Liz was many things to me: best friend, mentor, #1 cheerleader, inspiration, and constant reminder of what's really important in life. Given her impact on me, I often think about how to share who she was with the new people in my life who never got a chance to meet her. It's a challenging task.
Liz was an optimistic woman who defined herself by what she could do, not what limited her. In all of her pursuits, she appreciated depth... of knowledge and of experience.
Liz earned a PhD in genetics although she knew her health would likely prevent her from pursuing a long term career in laboratory bench science.
She became a fan of Lance Armstrong following his bout with cancer and his first Tour De France win in 1999. By 2001 she was actively handicapping the race sending family members emails regarding her predictions for the top 10 finishers.
Rather than give up a passion, she got portable oxygen tanks she could carry in her backpack while she skied the mountains of Utah.
Liz once missed a flight because she didn't hear the boarding announcement. She was totally engulfed in reading a magazine about the Utah Jazz.
When she became interested in chess again in her late 20s, playing online or with roommates wasn't good enough. She decided to go down to the local Russian cultural center to play with some of the best chessmasters in San Francisco.
In the early '90s, Liz began keeping a quote book. Thumbing through this book is like reading a Cliff Notes version on what Lizzy valued: humility, perseverance, discipline, accountability, and a strong sense of purpose. Liz believed we all had a responsibility to do what we could to make the world a better place. Despite a rigorous health maintenance routine, she made time to serve as the research advisory chair for Cystic Fibrosis Research Inc. (CFRI), to mentor a local adolescent with CF, and to always recycle, even if it meant stockpiling items for weeks until she was healthy enough to make the trip downstairs to the recycling bins in her apartment building. She did what she could, and expected others would do the same.
Who was Elizabeth Nash? Liz was a scientist, an artist, a musician, a skier, a basketball fan, and a volunteer who happened to have Cystic Fibrosis. That was how she thought about it, and that was what made her such an inspiration.
Liz (left), Carolyn, and Christine, at a Stanford basketball game
Liz skiing at Snowbird, Utah
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Liz (right) finishing a triathlon in 1997 with a little support from Christine (left) and Pat (middle)
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