Nancy Legate

Born Nov 1, 1942 in Saskatoon, SK to Catherine “Kay” and Edmund Vanston “Kerry” Kershaw. Died of lung cancer on October 21, 2024 in Sidney, BC at the age of 81 years. No matter the challenge or the trouble presented (including living energetically for two years with stage 4 cancer), Nan lived life on the bright side. People soaked up her overflowing laughter, optimism, gratitude and kindness. In the classroom as a professor at Seneca College or the barn as an expert dressage horsewoman of 70 years she was a mentor, coach and cheerleader.

Nan believed in you before you believed in yourself. She would move mountains to support you. She inspired you. She admired and celebrated your accomplishments with “yippee” as she threw her back head with a huge smile on her face clapping the back of one hand in the palm of the other hand. She had guts and grit; never shying away from a challenge. She was tenacious and determined including riding her beloved horse Wendy until a few months before her death and getting out to walk the dogs in the week before her death. She was adventurous, curious, tenacious, tough as nails and sometimes stubborn. She was a creative innovative pioneer. She could always find a solution. Her work ethic was fierce and you could always count on her to “pitch in.”

So much of Nan’s life was “such fun!” She took great pride and delight in her family and friends and of course her horses (her first true and enduring love) over the years. She leaves behind in love and grief her beloved soulmate and husband John Legate, children: Cathy Byers (Kipp Horton), Marissa Legate (Jamie O’Connor) and Joel Legate (Lora Villanueva) and grandchildren: Ridley Horton, Rylan O’Connor, Sasha O’Connor and Nathan O’Connor. She also leaves behind dogs Ginger and Rogers.

In lieu of flowers, please write a love letter to someone dear to you and/or notice what delights you in your days and/or make a donation to the Victoria Therapeutic Riding Association . She would delight in knowing that her legacy continues in their vision: “learning, connection and joy through the power of horses”.

Nan’s ashes will be interned in the Kershaw family plot at Woodlawn cemetery in Saskatoon. A memorial service with light refreshments will be held at the Dogwood Room at the Saanich Fairgrounds (as close as we could get to a barn without requiring muck out boots and also where Nan competed in dressage) at 1528 Stellys Cross Rd, Saanichton, BC V8M 1S8 at 10:30am on Saturday November 23, 2024. The memorial will be (amateur) livestreamed on zoom - scroll down for the link.