SRJC Instructor Nancy “Sue” McBride passed away at the age of 77 on July 18. McBride was killed in a fatal car accident by a suspected drunk driver. A beloved Adjunct Instructor at Santa Rosa Junior College, McBride is remembered for her caring nature and giving spirit.

McBride was born on Sept. 3, 1932 in Redstone Township, Pennsylvania. She also lived in Folsom, California and San Rafael during her childhood. Later, her father was named warden at San Quentin State Prison, where McBride and her family lived on prison grounds.

She married Louis Benjamin McBride, whose family led her to fall in love with the Spanish language, forever shaping the path she would follow. She graduated from Dominican University in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree in education. She and her husband moved to Penngrove in 1965 with their four sons. In 1995, she moved to Cloverdale to be closer to her sons once they moved from home.

Nancy taught at SRJC from spring 2008 until spring 2010. Previously a Spanish teacher at Sonoma Valley High, she began teaching an SE 505 Discussion Group course at SRJC after she retired. During this class, McBride aided adults in conducting conversations about current events and literature. She also taught at Flowery Elementary School, Altamira Middle School and Cloverdale High School. Nancy had a passion for teaching Spanish to seniors and volunteered at her local homeless shelters and food banks as a translator.

Not surprisingly, McBride’s list of volunteer work and community involvement doesn’t stop there. She quickly became involved in the Cloverdale community after moving there. She taught Spanish at the local senior center and was a clerk of the vestry at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd. In 2009, McBride redesigned her church’s garden to make it more environmentally friendly by reducing how much water it required to stay alive. She was also a founder of the Cloverdale Community Outreach Committee. With this committee, she provided assistance in many areas and housing to the homeless.

In the little free time she had, McBride enjoyed playing bridge and belonged to the same bridge group for many years. Her fellow bridge player and longtime friend, Beverly Jones, was also killed in the accident that took McBride’s life.

McBride is survived by her sons Jason McBride of Santa Monica and Randy McBride of Cloverdale. Donations in her memory may be made to the CCOC-Wallace House:

126 N. Main St.

Cloverdale, CA 95425

or

Cloverdale Senior Center

P.O. Box 663, Cloverdale, CA 95425.