I've wavered back and forth on whether to designate a blog post to when Real Housewives of Orange County (#RHOC) Noella's father, weatherman Christopher Nance, passed away beyond a couple Instagram posts (see here and here). However, after another night of watching arguments on the internet over this detail, I feel compelled to write it here, in hopes that when people search for the correct answer, the Internet will source this post.
Christopher Brian Nance, former weatherman and father of Real Housewife of Orange County Noella Bergener, died on September 22, 2021 in Hawaii.
How can I be certain? Please read on.
When I heard Noella was joining the #RHOC cast, I probably got a jumpstart before most on research into her family tree. I quickly learned the identity of her father and her strained relationship with him after reading an article from the February 2003 issue of Los Angeles Magazine; the pertinent excerpt is shared below. Click here to read the full article.
When Noella announced her father passed away in an Instagram post in October 2021, I had already read this piece, so I recognized how complicated her feelings and their relationship must be.
Then, when Noella's father's death was announced on the show, I started receiving messages and seeing comments everywhere about Noella lying about her father's death because he supposedly died in 2012. With a quick Google search, I was shocked to see that when you Google anything related to Christopher Nance's death, it does show he died in 2012.
But immediately I could see some glaring errors. Was Christopher Nance really born in 1968 when Noella was born in 1983 (and yes, the internet seems to get that detail wrong, too!)? Was he really from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina?
The obituary of the Christopher Nance who died in 2012 quickly resolved any questions I had (you can check it out here).
How could a California-based weatherman be a lifelong resident of South Carolina? Answer: he can't. A search of public records also uncovered that Noella's father was born in 1954 and his middle name is Brian, which is consistent with the earlier articles about him and inconsistent with the obituary of this Christopher Nance from South Carolina.
Here is a transcription of Noella's uncle's obituary, which I found in a Pacific Grove Google group. Note that it says Christopher was class of '72, which is consistent with someone who was born in 1954. (Before you ask, note that the LA Magazine article also mentioned that Noella's uncle was recorded as her father; it's important to understand obituaries are subject to human error.)
Here's more proof found in Noella's paternal grandmother's obituary.
How could Noella's grandparents' names be Calvin and Sarah if, as the 2012 obituary states, they are Paul and Cynthia?
Need more proof? Here's Christopher Nance's senior year photo from Pacific Grove High School in 1972. How would a 4 year old (born in 1968) be able to graduate high school? Again, he can't, and as stated, public records demonstrate Noella's father was born in 1954.
Still don't believe me? Despite this evidence, many aren't convinced until they see an obituary. Unfortunately, I haven't found an obituary for Noella's father, but either I just haven't found it, it's not available online, or there just isn't one. Obituaries aren't required, so I don't find this lack of evidence surprising.
But what I did find was a Notice to Creditors that ran in the Hawaii Herald-Tribune at the end of 2021. Notice the middle name and date of death, the latter which is consistent with Noella's original Instagram post dated two weeks later.
This serves as an important lesson to not trust everything you read on the Internet. You need to corroborate evidence and resolve conflicts.
To sum up, Christopher Brian Nance, age 67, died on 22 September 2021 in Hawaii.
Please contact me at adina@myfamilygenie.com if you're interesting in exploring your family history. Free initial consultations.
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