September 15, 2023
Dear Friends,
It is with a heavy heart that I share the sad news of the sudden passing of Nancy Bolmeier Fisher.
Nancy was the heart and soul of The Origin Project. As co-founder and Executive Director, it was her experience and vision that guided our mission. We created an in-school, year-round writing program for students and teachers in Appalachia, that began 10 years ago and grew across the state of Virginia, to serve 2,700 students grades kindergarten through 12. We brought in luminary authors to meet the students, to inspire their own work, which culminated in an annual anthology publishing our children’s stories of their origins. We developed workshops for teachers and encouraged them to share their own stories in the anthology. Nancy believed writing was the basis for every endeavor, and a mastery of it, and connection to the craft could change the world one story at a time.
The personal loss is enormous. Nancy was a loving wife to Ian and besotted mother to Ryan. She was a beloved sister to BethAnn, her son and grandnieces Piper and Paige. When Nancy loved you, you basked in the warmth of her encouragement and support. She loved Virginia and our students, teachers and librarians. She marveled at their talents and reveled in their gifts. As a friend, you could do no better. She grew up in Powell, Wyoming and brought her small-town upbringing to Virginia with pride, noting similarities and points of view.
Nancy relied upon and adored Linda Woodward and Rhonda Carper. Linda is the boots on the ground engine of the project in Appalachia, and Rhonda, our teacher liaison and event coordinator. Please keep them in your prayers as they, along with Nancy at the helm were the Origin Project’s dream team.
I will share more with you in the days and months to come, but for today, please pray for her soul, and for Ian, Ryan, BethAnn and their families. I join you in prayer and in grief for this magnificent woman who changed the world for the better.
With much love,
Adriana Trigiani
The Origin Project