Beverly Nestande; Admired for Helping O.C. Children

Beverly Nestande, widely known and beloved for her tireless volunteer efforts helping Orange County children, died Wednesday morning after a five-year battle with colon cancer. She was 64.

While having a series of cancer surgeries, Nestande still worked for countless charities, including Olive Crest, which runs more than 20 group homes in the area. She also worked for the Newport-Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce, the YWCA, the Braille Institute and college and hospital foundations.

The Orange resident raised $1 million for Olive Crest while working full time there for 13 years before retiring three months ago.

“Even though she retired, she continued to work from home,” said Kelly Crosland, a director of public relations at the nonprofit organization based in Santa Ana. “We could not stop her. She really put herself behind her belief in the cause of helping children.”

Nestande, a Minnesota native, was the ex-wife of former county Supervisor Bruce Nestande, for whom she helped campaign when he ran earlier for the state Assembly. The state Senate honored her with a “Woman of the Year” award in 1998.

Nestande ran for the 70th state Assembly seat in 1980, but lost the primary race to John Lewis (R-Orange), who now serves in the state Senate.

“Right behind her Christian faith is politics,” said her son, Barry Nestande. “Everyone in the political arena knows her.”

In July 1997, more than 420 friends threw Nestande a tribute in her honor at the Doubletree Hotel in Orange. Party organizers listed more than 50 local causes that Nestande had been involved with.

Nestande, a former elementary schoolteacher who came to Orange County in the 1960s, is survived by sons Barry, 39, and Brian, 36, both of Palm Springs, and grandchildren Sophia, 5, and Hayden, 3.

Memorial services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Calvary Church in Santa Ana, 1010 N. Tustin Ave. Donations can be sent to Olive Crest, the Central Orange County YWCA in Orange or Leadership Orange in Orange.