Nancy Blachly — 1952-2011
South Lake Tahoe’s first licensed massage therapist, Nancy Blachly, died Jan. 12 from injuries she had sustained two days earlier while skiing at Heavenly Mountain Resort.
Ms. Blachly was born June 8, 1952. She was 58.
Ms. Blachly spent most weekdays skiing. She would start the day taking the Gunbarrel lift up, doing three runs on the face and then making it to Mott Canyon for the 10am opening.
Nancy Blachly
Ski patrol was called at 10:30am Jan. 10. Her equipment was about 150 feet up the hill. Although a highly skilled skier, Ms. Blachly was not wearing a helmet, according to resort officials.
She was airlifted to Barton Memorial Hospital. Ms. Blachly was kept alive so her organs could be harvested. Health care was a big part of her life.
“She was always studying cutting-edge therapies,” Gay Romeis, a longtime friend said. “She was into different healing modalities.”
Ms. Blachly graduated magna *** laude from the University of Wisconsin with a pre-med focus in human anatomy, physiology and kinesiology. She taught high school for several years. She also taught at Lake Tahoe Community College.
In the 1980s, Ms. Blachly was issued the first massage license by South Lake Tahoe. At that time she operated a business at the Y in the Raley’s Center called Wave Makers.
An Association of Massage Therapists is the company she was running at the time of her death. Ms. Blachly was highly respected in the massage community – as a leader and advocate for therapists.
Besides skiing, Ms. Blachly was an avid recreationist. Some mornings she would go for a run before hitting the slopes. In the summer she would inline skate from her house to Fallen Leaf Lake where she would then take a swim.
“If she had any challenges, she saw them as opportunities,” Romeis said. “Her love of skiing was unreal. She would ski down Mott and make it look like Ridge run.”
Services will be Jan. 16 at 2pm at Embassy Suites, where she had done massage for years.
Ms. Blachly is preceded in death by son Patrick Egan.
She is survived by her mother, Aleta; brothers David and Dennis; and sister Boni, all who live outside of Lake Tahoe.
She will be missed by everyone that knew her! A sad, sad day indeed.
She was my angel and will be forever. A brilliant woman always.
Rest well, my friend!
This week we lost a Tahoe Pioneer Nancy Blachly.
35 years ago Nancy, working with the South Lake
Tahoe Police Department and the City Council
was inspirational in creating Tahoe’s Massage
therapy ordinances. Nancy was the first person
to have a Massage Therapy License and establishment in
South Lake Tahoe. Through all of Nancy’s dedication to
Massage Therapy, Massage has become a respected
Industry in Tahoe, we Thank her for that.
Nancy was doing what she loved, skiing, with the wind in her hair.
The earth is a much better place because of what she gave all of us.
She will be missed.
SKIING AFTER HEARTBREAK
Leaning on my ski poles,
The stinging wind
Lashes at my face.
Teary eyes look down;
Brilliant white mass,
Wind blowing
Sparkling silver dust,
Weary evergreens.
A peaceful world,
Unstained and sinless,
Cloaked in thin, pure, innocent air.
Sliding one foot forward I start down,
Forcing my weight into each turn.
My peaceful vision turns about
As the reality of the biting wind
Cuts sharper at my face,
Fear blowing uphill
As I swoop down,
Faster, faster.
The air threatens my breath, leaving
My mind halfway up the slope,
And I’m suddenly stopped.
Halted at the lodge.
Gasping.
The death stroke of panic subsides,
Is over quicker than I thought.
And I look back up
At the giant trail of fear,
A mountain glorious,
Which had just released me.
A beautiful soul and spirit. A bright golden light we were honored and blessed to asorb. Nancy left this world a far better place than the one she entered.
Nancy was an amazingly smart, educated, dedicated person. As many have noted, she was instrumental in making massage therapy respected in our community.
I feel priveleged to have known her.
I will miss my little humble, meek and mild friend. I feel so very lucky to have known her. I now have the best angel on the block. She will be leading the way for me for the rest of my life and I pray she will be the first spirit I meet up with on the other side of the veil. Thank you Nancy for making my world a better place. See you soon…in the bat of an eye ;) XOX
Nancy is still making first tracks on the face. Look for the bright light. That will always be her! We will miss you.
Say Hi to Pat for me when you see him, he is in good hands
Dearest Nancy – you taught me what a real friend was all about. I had never from the day i was born did i know what love, compassuion, empathy and understanding was all about. You Nancy help me to understand, and know what that was all about – i miss you so much – i can hardly believe that you have stepped up to next part of your enternal journey. Our God – i miss you – i miss that voice that would say (Hey how are ya) how will i manage without your positive input, and support. and yet i am happy for you that you are now in that place of great happiness – what friend would not want that for you. Until we meet again – God Bless you – i love you- junee
Nancy, to say you were a part of my life long ago is a gift. You were/ are still a gentle but powerful soul.
When we were working to get established at Embassy Suites, Nancy called a business meeting by the river. We were all told to come with a list of three things we truly wanted. We joined hands in a circle were told to think about which thing we’d give up (to get the things we wanted), and then to pray for the person to our right in the circle. We then prayed for the folks at Embassy, and within the month we were ‘there’. My favorite business meeting ever!! (and maybe the only one we really had as a group). I’m sorry I missed your memorial, and I will miss talking to you on your birthday as we do every year. xoxo k-
I had the great priviledge of knowing this beautiful, gentle soul. I have visions of her roller blading down my street with a big smile on her face.
You are missed Nancy but will never be forgotten. We all now have another angel in heaven.