Obituary of Nina Wrangell

Family and friends are mourning the death of Baroness Nina Alice Wrangell Von Ludenhoff. She passed away unexpectedly with loved ones at her bedside on February 17th 2012 of respiratory failure. Nina was born in New York on July 11th 1933 to Baron Paul Wrangell (von Ludenhoff) and Alice Kellett Wrangell. While still an infant her family relocated to Los Angeles, California. Nina grew up and spent her formative years in Santa Monica Canyon, graduating from University High in 1951. With the family home just blocks from the ocean, Nina spent much of her time at the beach playing volleyball and bodysurfing. Her love of the beach never faded as she seemed happiest on or near the water. After high school, she studied at University of Mexico, her parents thinking Mexico City would be a good opportunity for both an education and to hopefully thwart a budding romance with a young veteran who had recently returned from the conflict in Korea. After finishing her studies, the strong willed and independent Nina continued her romance with the young air force staff sergeant Jack Seward Vance when she returned to the US. They later married and had five children together. After having moved around a bit when the kids were infants living in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Topanga Canyon and finally settling in Woodland Hills, where they were to raise their children. Nina and Jack would later divorce in 1972, leaving Nina to finish the rearing of the kids by herself. While a single parent, she worked to support her young family and also continued her education and graduated from CSU Northridge with a double major in Anthropology and Psychology. After most of her children migrated to Santa Cruz, Nina followed suit and moved to Santa Cruz in 1982. Nina worked a number of years for Bay Federal Credit Union, then took a job with Communications Service Company, where she worked for more than 20 years and continued to work until shortly before her death. Nina was a very friendly, thoughtful and giving person, Her children, grandchildren and her friends were always part of her life. She loved and was loved by many, Her curiosity about life and matter were insatiable and her interest in art, education and political matter never stopped. Her passion was fishing and she was very talented and successful at it. She often shared her catch with friends and family, treating us to fresh caught salmon, tuna, halibut and assorted rock fish. She starting with pier fishing, then moving to the party boats and then to spending many of her fishing days, in a small open hulled boat with her good friend, fishing buddy and boss, Bernie Schreuer. Nina also loved to travel, visiting places like Mexico, Europe, Russia, the Greek Isles, Africa, the Seychelles, East Timor, Thailand, Mongolia, and Alaska. Nina is preceded in death by her parents Paul and Alice (Nona), former husband Jack, her son Stephen, and her daughter Karena. She is survived by daughter Katja (Kathryn), sons Christopher and Jeffrey, daughter-in-law Darima, grandchildren, Rachelle, Justin, Giovanna, and Kaimbrea, Max, Mie, Sidd, Bianca, Luka, great-grandchildren, Luci and Wyatt, her sister Nadja, her brother Paul and many other extended family members. Please join us for a celebration of her life on March 10, 2012 at 11:00 am. Service will be held at Chapel Villa Maria del Mar, 19th Ave and East Cliff, Santa Cruz.