Featured Resident: Nancy Eller
Not many can say they have touched thousands of lives, but for Nancy Eller that number is no exaggeration. Her passion for music began at age four when her mother enrolled her in weekly piano lessons. Her wish for a flute came true on her birthday while she was in the 5th grade. Nancy continues to play the flute to this day and loves to share her music with others.
Her whirlwind (or should we say, woodwind?) career has carried her to over 50 countries. After founding the “The International Flute Orchestra”, Nancy has been on 21 international tours. Out of all the places she’s visited, Nancy says “Morocco is the 59th country I have visited and everyone is unique with beautiful people, customs, food, and scenery. I’ve been blessed to have had the opportunity to experience so much of our wonderful world.” Over the course of her 75+ year long career, Nancy has empowered students, impacted families and touched the hearts of people around the world with her incredible gift.
Though Nancy loves playing beautiful music on the flute, she has found that the relationships formed with her students to be even more rewarding than hitting the perfect note. The impact she had on her students extended beyond their musical performance, Nancy connected with her students on a personal level as well.
The artwork hanging above Nancy’s piano is a perfect representation of this. The photo was taken by the father of Jennifer Gray, who was one of Nancy’s students. After taking lessons with Nancy during middle school and high school, Jennifer went on to pursue a degree in Flute Performance. The statue in the image represents Jennifer, and the statue sat in her parents’ home. One day, Jennifer’s father noticed the beautiful shadow cast behind the statue and it instantly reminded him of Nancy. Many of the parents of Nancy’s students referred to Nancy as their child’s guardian angel. That Nancy’s musical mentoring was a positive influence in their lives.
Today the photo hangs in Nancy’s apartment at Buena Vida, serving as a daily reminder of the joy the flute has brought her over the course of her life. Nancy made more than just music, she created lasting relationships and impacted the lives of everyone who was lucky enough to hear her play. 
When you’re walking around Buena Vida, there is always chance you might have the pleasure of hearing the music from Nancy’s flute floating down the halls. Nancy has loved settling into living the Good Life ™ – she is an active member of the community and appreciates how there is never a shortage of fun activities. Each day is full of new experiences, exceptional friendships and Nancy has immersed herself in the loving community here at Buena Vida. We are honored and delighted to have Nancy Eller, guardian angel to many and a creator of ethereal music, as part of our dynamic and talented family.
