Celebration of life for Aspen Hall of Famer Nancy Oden on Oct. 9

There will be a celebration of life for former Aspen resident Nancy Newcomet Clow Odén at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, at Harris Hall.

Odén died Dec. 19, 2019, in Ft. Myers, Florida, after a long battle with COPD. She was 87. Her celebration of life was postponed due to COVID and other circumstances, according to the family.

In 1964, she moved to Aspen and married Dr. Robert Odén, who died in 2008, She is survived by her children: Dr. Louise Edwards, Boyd Edwards, Beach Edwards and Lisbeth Odén; and grandchildren Zackary Odén, Kaela Edwards and Aubrey Edwards.

Odén was well known for her volunteer work with Aspen Music Festival. For over 30 years, she was the volunteer director of the Fred O. Lane Lemonade Stand, which raised money for scholarships and fellowships for hundreds of Aspen Music Festival Students. She served more than 200,000 cups of lemonade, 90,000 muffins and 130,000 cookies during her 43,000 hours of working at the lemonade stand. She was awarded the Greg Mace Award in 2011 for her service to the community.

“A woman I volunteered with for years, a woman I laughed with for years and a woman who was one of my very best friends. She helped everyone and was always there for them — an angel, indeed!” wrote Dottie Wolcott, one of Odén’s close friends.

In 1996, Odén and her husband were elected to the Aspen Hall of Fame for their work in the community. In addition to her work at the lemonade stand, she was a board member of the Music Associates of Aspen, a founding member of Aspen Community Theatre and involved in the World Cup Winternational Ski Races.

Anyone who knew Odén knew of her love of penguins, daughter Lisbeth Odén said. She often received penguin trinkets for holidays, birthdays and just because someone was thinking of her.