Jude Nagle with her grandson.
After an 18-month struggle from the final stages of Lyme disease, Jude Nagle, a much-loved Laytonville cannabis activist and leader, died on Nov. 30. She was 64 and had lived with Lyme disease for most of her life.
Born in Amityville, NY, on March 30, 1952, Jude moved across the country with her mother and father and three siblings at the age of three. Later, in California, four more siblings were born. At some point during their trip west, her parents flipped a coin to decide whether to continue northwest, on to San Francisco, or southwest, and on to Los Angeles. Thank goodness, San Francisco won the coin toss.
After living in San Francisco, the family moved to Camp Meeker, in Sonoma County. Jude was educated in Sebastopol schools. She became a Buddhist in high school, married a fellow Buddhist at 18; at 19 she became a mother.
Jude came out and left her husband at age 21, when she began her renegade life as a free-spirited, generous, openhearted, nature-loving, untamable wild woman. Her occupations ranged from caregiver; founding member of the Red Clover Workers Brigade, a worker owned food coop for which she drove large semi-trucks up and down California; hairdresser; herbalist, and proud cannabis farmer.
She lived most of her life in Sonoma County, moving on to Mendocino County 10 years ago. She often said Laytonville was where she was meant to be and where her spirit could fly. Mendocino County reminded her of Sonoma County of the 1960’s.
In 1995, Jude and her good friend Lucinda Dekker changed the status of their friendship to “life partners.” When California legalized same-sex marriage in 2008, Jude and Lucinda got hitched. Together they were able to accomplish most of their mutual lifetime goals. They bought land outside of Laytonville and developed an off-grid farm and homestead called Hope Springs, a refuge for friends and family.
At Hope Springs Jude was able to live a life of agrarian activism. She helped start the Mendocino Cannabis Policy Council, the Mendocino Medicinals collective and the Sativa Divas. She was active in the Laytonville Grange and the Cannabis Renaissance Series at the Long Valley Garden Club. She was a proud member of the Emerald Grown Cooperative. She was always eager to help people gain access to cannabis medicine. Collaborating with many gifted seed breeders in the community, she developed high-CBD strains that she made available to patients seeking this needed genetic variation in local strains. She took great pride in giving plants and medicine free of charge to anyone who needed them.
Jude will always be remembered for her generosity, non-judgmental and trusting nature, patience, optimism and good will. She often repeated the quote: “We must adopt optimism as a deliberate strategy.”
Jude is survived by: her wife, Lucinda; sons Victor Fanucchi and Birkin Fennell; grandchildren Dekker and Dylan, another grandson on the way and her nephew Leo Nagle. She is also survived by her mother, Elizabeth, brothers Davis, James, Terrance, Vincent, John and Rhonas; sister Eileen and numerous nieces and nephews. She is also survived by her Hope Springs strains of CBD that are distributed by dispensaries across California.
The community is invited to celebrate Jude’s life at Harwood Hall in Laytonville on Jan. 14 at 2 p.m. Or, in Jude tradition, come later. All are invited to share food, stories, music, pictures and love. Jude loved music and singing, and at many gatherings encouraged everyone to sing, regardless of their talent. Any questions? Jude’s answer to most questions: “It depends.”
A memorial will be held for Jude Nagle at Harwood Hall in Laytonville, Jan. 14, 2017, at 2 p.m.
Contact: Lucinda Dekker
Phone: 707 354-3962
She is also survived by her mother, Wlizabeth, brothers Davis, James, Terrance, Vincent, John and Rhonas; sister Eileen and numerous nieces and nephews.
Thanks, Dorothy, we appreciate it and will update the post with that information.