With profound sorrow, the South Pasadena community is coming to terms with the passing of Joanne Nuckols, a preservationist, historian, civic leader, family member, and friend whose influence shaped decades of local life. Joanne died peacefully on Tuesday morning, August 19.
Her family has requested privacy as they make arrangements. Funeral services will be private, but an open community gathering and public celebration of her life will be announced in the coming days.
In the meantime, the family has created a dedicated email address, [email protected] where friends, neighbors, and colleagues can share their well-wishes, stories, photos, and memories – and the family is so humbled to hear it all. The Nuckols family has expressed their gratitude for understanding the need for a little space at this time.
There are volumes to write about Joanne Nuckols, how her work in life has touched all who live, work, and thrive in South Pasadena. This brief announcement is far from adequate, and much followup will continue as everyone’s stories and photos are gathered.
The Torch Has Been Passed: It’s up to South Pasadenans to maintain and grow the hard work that has kept our small city, a city at all.
A Preservation Leader, A South Pasadena Savior
Joanne Nuckols was widely recognized as one of South Pasadena’s most steadfast defenders of its historic homes and neighborhoods. She served for many years as a guiding voice within the South Pasadena Preservation Foundation (SPPF), most recently as a volunteer archivist. Her knowledge of federal and state preservation law, historic registries, and architectural heritage was encyclopedic, and she mentored countless advocates who continue the work today.
Fighting the 710 Freeway, Which Would Have Run Through The Heart of South Pasadena
Nuckols’s legacy is inseparable from South Pasadena’s decades-long fight against the proposed 710 Freeway extension, a project that threatened to cut through the heart of the community. She was one of the staunchest leaders in the campaign that ultimately brought the project to an end, working shoulder-to-shoulder with activists in South Pasadena and extending outreach to neighboring communities such as El Sereno.
For decades, she was deeply involved, and was an instrumental part of successfully winning in efforts to protect Caltrans-owned homes in the corridor, fighting to ensure that historic houses were preserved, restored, and returned to community use rather than lost to demolition or speculation. From neighborhood meetings to state hearings and even the halls of Washington, D.C., Joanne was a fearless and effective part of a serious team of ‘No On 710’ fighters and fact-driven advocate who commanded respect at every level.
A Champion Community Builder
Colleagues and friends describe Joanne as both approachable and formidable. She was known for speaking with clarity, conviction, and fairness—whether addressing neighbors across the street or officials in Sacramento.
Jenny Bright, President of the SPPF, reflected this week: “Our community has lost a true hero. I think we are all reflecting on Joanne since she passed away. I keep seeing her emails as recently as days ago, cheering us on with our preservation work.”
Longtime neighbor and colleague Félix Gutiérrez recalled riding to meetings with her in the 1980s, encouraging her to share her ideas publicly: “She could be forceful and factual advocating her position in any setting. She was emblematic of South Pasadena women who led fights others thought were lost causes. Our city is a better place for those battles that were fought and won.”
Lasting Legacy | Carry the Torch
Through her preservation work, her mentorship, and her unyielding defense of South Pasadena’s identity, Joanne Nuckols leaves behind a community forever shaped by her vision and courage.
As the family continues to grieve in private, the broader community is invited to contribute to her memory through [email protected]. Public announcements about a memorial and community gathering will follow.
South Pasadena has lost a living archive, a moral touchstone, a defender of its heritage and way of life, and above all, a neighbor who showed what this city can do when we all work together for the right thing.
More to come…
