CSULB employee's life remembered

By Ryan May
Daily Forty-Niner

The purchasing department and the Cal State Long Beach community are mourning the loss of one of their own.

Nancy Maxwell, 49, died Aug. 2 after a 20-year struggle with Lupus, a disease that causes the immune system to attack healthy tissue.

Maxwell, described by co-workers as dependable and conscientious, joined CSULB in 1996 as a Buyer 1.

Located on the top floor of Brotman Hall, the purchasing department overlooks the campus of CSULB. High above the hustle and congestion of students racing to and from class, purchasing employees quietly work behind the scenes, making sure students and faculty have what they need for their daily activities.

Quiet and unassuming, Maxwell fit perfectly into this niche.

"She had a marvelous work ethic," said Elizabeth Beall, purchasing manager. "It really meant a lot to her to be able to come into work every day."

As Buyer 1, Maxwell was responsible for the purchase of scientific supplies and negotiating contracts for student affiliations, maintenance and print contracts for campus publications.

Her co-workers remember her as having a quiet and gentle nature, with a sense of humor that was an encouragement to those around her.

"I always think of that song 'Nancy With the Laughing Face,' that Frank Sinatra song," Beall said. "She was always cheerful. She just grew on you. She'd catch you off guard with a comment here and there and you would go away giggling."

According to her co-workers, her trips to the hospital were becoming more and more frequent, and she eventually underwent dialysis. Yet aside from needing accommodation in her schedule, her performance was consistent and unfazed.

"It was a tremendous shock to our office when she passed away," Beall said. "We knew she was ill, but we didn't know how ill. You would never know that she was suffering."

"She was in and out of the hospital," said Maxwell's co-worker Donna Hilpert. "We just expected her to come home again."

In her leisure time, Maxwell enjoyed crafts, Beall said. With flower arrangements, bows and wreaths, her cubicle was always nicely and neatly arranged, her knack for decor was a part of her wherever she went.

"Her home was decorated very carefully and artistically," Hilpert said.

Maxwell strived in every aspect of her life, co-workers said. Everything she touched, every project she undertook was completed with fervor and excellence.

Maxwell was well known for her personality, performance and decorative flair, but she was famous for something else.

"She made wonderful chocolate chip cookies," Beall said. "She could have made a living on her chocolate chip cookies."

A staple food at every office party or gathering, Maxwell's cookies were not only anticipated, but eventually required.

"Even if she wanted to bring something else, we made her bring in the cookies," Beall said.

Maxwell is survived by her daughter Kimberly Dunek.