Letters to the Editor: Community reacts to death of Nancy Ancrum, a beacon in local journalism
Community’s best
Nancy Ancrum was a brave and honorable woman, whom I admired greatly for her integrity, intelligence and caring opinions. On the occasions we spoke, she was always fair, provocative and devoted to what was best for our community.
Simply put, Nancy was remarkable, and I miss her already.
Kathy Fernandez Rundle,
Miami-Dade State Attorney,
Miami
In memoriam
Miami Herald reporter Howard Cohen’s Feb. 11 front page story, “Weeks after retirement, longtime Miami Herald Editorial Page Editor Nancy Ancrum dies at 67,” was a wonderful memorial on Ancrum’s passing and legacy.
Ancrum published many of my letters on the various political and other opinions I expressed over the years. A number of my personal and professional friends were also frequently published and represented well.
Ancrum maintained and navigated a difficult balance between, and among, right and left and right and wrong, bringing honor and credibility to the Herald’s pages, simultaneously serving as a community watchdog, while representing the pages of the Miami Herald.
To say I enjoyed reading Cohen’s excellent tribute to Ancrum would be an understatement. He certainly did her justice.
My regret, in her twilight years, is that she did not have more time to enjoy her just desserts and fruits of her labors.
H. Allen Benowitz,
Miami
Coping with loss
I was saddened to read of the passing of the Miami Herald’s recently retired Editorial Page Editor Nancy Ancrum.
Those of us who live with multiple myeloma and battle its effects with often toxic treatments and difficult therapies know our lives are a gift. We try to squeeze years of experiences into a shorter span, knowing a future may not be as long as we wish.
Although we are fortunate to be living at a time when treatments have extended our years, the death of a fellow myeloma warrior is often a jarring reminder of our own vulnerability.
We cancer patients and survivors call for improving the accessibility to treatments with financial help for often prohibitively-costly cancer drugs and the end to the medical gouging by pharmaceutical conglomerates.
May Nancy rest in peace.
Maritza Silverio,
West Kendall
Chance meeting
Former Miami Herald Editorial Page Editor Nancy Ancrum and I met at an event in Coral Gables a few years ago. I recognized her and approached her to introduce myself. I said my name and, without any hesitation, she told me where in Miami I lived.
When I expressed my surprise that she knew this, she simply smiled and said, “I do read your letters, you know.” Mine and thousands of others, I thought.
I will always remember her kind, inclusive and affirming gesture — her grace. And I know that is the way she treated our entire community. How we will miss her. Visualizing her now, I think she actually glowed!
Marcia Braun,
Miami Springs
Highly respectful
I was shocked when I unwrapped the Sunday Miami Herald and saw the front page story announcing the death of the Herald’s former Editorial Page Editor Nancy Ancrum.
As one who has had 108 letters published in the opinion column through the years, we occasionally communicated directly. She was always supportive of my efforts and of the community in general.
She ably reviewed submissions of very diverse and different voices and tried to fairly represent those voices in her column.
We did not always agree on things, but she had something that is getting rarer and rarer to find today: respect for one whose ideas and/or beliefs did not necessarily agree with hers.
Because she was so good at reviewing submissions, I have a feeling that God will utilize her skill set to review supplications. Let us hope that God is understanding with respect to deadlines.
Robert E. Panoff,
Pinecrest
Trusted friend
We are deeply saddened by the sudden death of Nancy Ancrum, who we first knew through her biweekly culinary column in the Miami Herald’s food and dining section years ago, then as the Herald’s editorial page editor.
The South Florida community lost a beacon of light.
Ancrum showed true bravery and leadership in many of the editorials and opinions, displaying her independence from the influence-peddling leaders and politicians.
For the South Florida Muslim community, she was a trusted member and a friend who had taken positions for causes affecting our community.
The leadership of the Coalition of South Florida Muslim Organizations (COSMOS) mourns her death but also celebrates the legacy she left on our local community.
During this difficult time, we extend our deepest sympathies to her husband, family, colleagues, friends and all those whose lives she touched.
Shabbir Motorwala,
Coalition of South Florida Muslim Organizations,
West Kendall
Peers in ink
When Nancy Ancrum’s retirement was announced just two months ago, it was an OMG moment. I was losing my best and all-time favorite pen pal!
Ancrum thought her job was to inform and be informed, but there was way more: She built a community of readers and writers.
Now, instead of wishing her buena suerte in her next chapter, I pray that she rests in well-deserved peace.
Norma A. Orovitz,
Bay Harbor Islands
Reason to read
Nancy Ancrum wrote opinions that read like no other. She was a beautiful lady who made me look forward to starting my day reading the Herald.
Barry Levy,
Miami
Ancrum’s impact
My condolences to the Miami Herald’s editorial team, of whom Nancy Ancrum was so proud. She was so pleased to leave her beloved section to such competent professionals whom she treasured as people, not just staff members. She knew she was leaving the editorial pages in the best of hands. I had the pleasure of meeting some of them on occasion, most recently at Ancrum’s 65th birthday.
Ancrum’s death is a tremendous loss — not just to those of us who personally love her and her husband, George, but also to the state of Florida. We’d been so thrilled when that initial scary treatment for multiple myeloma seemed to work, and grateful that it enabled 12 years of remission.
She truly cared about the people and issues that affect us all, and never shied from speaking truth to power. Ancrum showed her readers and listeners her intelligence, deep understanding of people and almost supernatural ability to effectively present the potential consequences of policies, actions (and lack thereof) and circumstances. Despite her far-reaching knowledge and capacity to connect seemingly unrelated dots, she never talked down to us.
Our friendship with her and George started in the mid-1980’s, before they married. We were thrilled when they moved into a home just 10 blocks from ours. Our shared love of gardening, food, wine, travel and languages meant many wonderful evenings together eating, drinking and talking for hours on end.
We only met her dad a few times before he passed, but knew and loved her mom, Rosa. She was a devoted daughter who took wonderful care of her mom. Nancy will be missed beyond description.
Janet Carabelli,
El Portal
‘Voice of reason’
Although I have never met Nancy Ancrum, I feel extremely sad to read about her passing. Florida has lost a voice of reason. She was a real humanitarian who always showed goodwill toward others.
Ancrum always included both sides of a story in her editorial pages, but she also skillfully knew how to dissect the racist, dysfunctional and discriminatory issues of this state and put it out there.
Mayade Ersoff,
Palmetto Bay
Missed already
Nancy Ancrum published many of my thoughts when I wanted to vent. I was very saddened to read of her struggle.
She had a life well-lived. She is missed in my little corner of the world.
Dick Masington,
Coral Gables
Letters continue
When I picked up the Miami Herald Sunday morning, I was shocked to read about the passing of Nancy Ancrum. During the past several years, Ancrum was instrumental in facilitating my monthly letter to the editor.
Even though I am devastated by her passing, in her memory, I will continue writing my letter the editor every single month,
May God bless Nancy Ancrum.
Kenneth Karger,
Kendall
Fair and balanced
Those of us who have had our letters to the editor published from time to time have a debt of gratitude to Nancy Ancrum for the hours she spent scanning our work.
I, especially, as my offerings have at times been more perpendicular than parallel to the Herald’s politics.
Ancrum never tarried or stumbled in her work. She will be missed.
Michael G. Merhige,
Kendall
