Close friends of Savannah Guthrie’s mother, who recently went missing, have spoken out, sharing that they were supposed to meet with her on the morning of her unsettling disappearance.
Nancy Guthrie, aged 84, vanished from her $1 million home in Tucson, Arizona, in the early hours of February 1, shortly after being dropped off by her daughter and son-in-law following an evening of dining and games.
Just two days before her disappearance, Nancy had celebrated her birthday with some of her dearest friends.
According to Anne Burnson, as they parted ways, Nancy confirmed plans to join them for a New York City church service viewing at a friend’s house the following Sunday, as reported by The New York Times.
Their gathering, which included communion with grape juice and wafers, was meant to feature the service Savannah had attended that morning, according to the outlet.
However, by 11 a.m., the ever-punctual Nancy had not arrived. After several failed attempts to reach her, the friends decided to contact Nancy’s eldest daughter, Annie.
However, Annie arrived to find her mother’s home empty, as the investigation into Nancy’s disappearance enters its second week.
Now, Nancy’s friends are forced to remind themselves that their friend may still return home alive. ‘Nancy was – is,’ they caught themselves saying, the Times reported.
Friends of Nancy Guthrie, 84, recall the sharp-minded and kind woman they knew as they remind themselves to refer to her in the present tense
Nancy was set to meet her friends on the morning of her disappearance to watch a New York City church service on Sunday February 1 at 11am
Remembered for her never-ending kindness in supporting her family and friends, Nancy was also described by colleagues from her time at the University of Arizona as a skilled communicator who never chased publicity
As the search for the beloved mother continues, while troubling details and a third ransom note surfaces, her friends are trying to stay optimistic and instead focusing their minds on positive memories.
Burnson, 66, who has known Nancy for 42 years, warmly recalled seeing enormous joy in her friend’s eyes whenever they met.
‘I keep thinking about every time I’d go in the kitchen door, and she’d be sitting there at the counter, just how her eyes would always light up as soon as she saw me,’ Burnson told the outlet.
‘That’s when you know you have a real friend.’
Nancy’s teachings in Bible study classes introduced her to her now-longtime friend Vicki Edwards. Friends said that Nancy was able to lead classes in such a way that it applied to every day life.
‘She’s been a mentor and a teacher and someone that’s really quietly shaped the lives of countless people here,’ Edwards said.
The pair met in 1987 at one of Nancy’s Bible study classes. Now, 68-year-old Edwards hosts their church service screenings, she told the outlet.
Remembered for her never-ending kindness in supporting her family and friends, Nancy was also described by colleagues from her time at the University of Arizona as a skilled communicator who never chased publicity.
As the search for the beloved mother continues, while troubling details and a third ransom note surfaces, her friends are trying to stay optimistic and instead focusing their minds on positive memories
Nancy Guthrie seen with her daughter Today show host Savannah Guthrie
Nancy’s friends know her to be a lively woman, fond of the outdoors and often playing tennis, hiking or partaking in spin classes. She would often cook for her friends or catch a movie at an art house cinema
Nancy worked as a journalist at The Daily Territorial before moving on to work at the university.
Jacqueline Sharkey, a former colleague of hers, told the Times that Nancy was a fierce advocate who campaigned with her to save a poison-information center in the 90s.
The effort, spearheaded by Sharkey, succeeded after collecting 20,000 signatures and urging Arizona politicians to block threats to shut the center down, she told the outlet.
In 2007, Nancy moved on from her job at the university and spent years on an advisory committee for the journalism school.
Dave Cuillier, a former director of the school, told the outlet that Nancy was the kind of person who would keep him ‘in check.’
‘She was quick to correct me,’ he told the outlet. ‘She was just one of those people who you really appreciated getting to work with.’
Nancy’s friends know her to be a lively woman, fond of the outdoors and often playing tennis, hiking or partaking in spin classes. She would often cook for her friends or catch a movie at an art house cinema.
Overtime, however, she began struggling with her mobility and even said to a friend, Kris Federhar, that she wasn’t comfortable climbing up movie theater stairs anymore.
Nancy had a pacemaker and was reliant on daily medication, and also began using a cane and relying on hearing aids. As aging began to limit her, she began opting to stay home more often than not.
Yet, friends said that her age and physical challenges did not stop her. She continued on having a busy social life, including monthly book clubs, and she was as sharp-minded as ever, the outlet reported.
