Nancy McClish Reinsch, a 65-year resident of Pacific Palisades, died peacefully in her home on March 17, after a long illness. She was 85. Born in San Francisco, Nancy spent her childhood among Sacramento, Healdsburg and Santa Cruz. Her father, Frank McClish, was a pharmacist. Her mother, Claudia Thorne, taught the developmentally disabled. After studying bacteriology at UCLA and graduating in 1939, Nancy worked at California Hospital in Los Angeles, where she met her future husband, Dr. Paul John Reinsch. Their marriage in 1941 was the first service to be held in the new parish of St. Matthew’s in Pacific Palisades. Nancy lectured in botany and bacteriology briefly at Oregon State University in Corvallis. The couple then lived in Madison, Wisconsin, following World War II, before settling permanently in the Palisades in 1948. Nancy’s greatest love was her family. In addition to her husband of 62 years, she is survived by 12 of her 14 children, 14 grandchildren, and 6 great-grandchildren. Her sons are Stuart (who lives in Berkeley), John (Fresno), James (deceased 1979), Fred (deceased 1996), Peter (Amsterdam, the Netherlands), and Michael (Los Angeles). Her daughters are Mary Sackett (Encino), Erica Dedon (Dublin), Anne (Oakland), Sigrid (Santa Clara), Jennifer Chaffiotte (Madison, CT) Molly Maguire (La Selva Beach), Maureen Montgomery (Lake Tahoe), and Lindsay Albert (Malibu). She is also survived by her sister Mary ‘Dede’ Flinn of Napa. Nancy’s other passion was her beautiful garden full of ornamental shrubs and flowers. The large garden surrounding her home expressed her love of English formal and cottage gardens as well as her knowledge of California natives. Funeral services will be held privately at St. Matthew’s Church. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to a charity of one’s choice.
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