When someone like Nicola Coombe leaves this world, something shifts. The air feels different. The edges of our days feel softer. And yet, something steadier rises too, the quiet certainty that her light has not gone out, only spread.
Nicola was many things to many people: a teacher, a wife, a daughter, a mentor, a neighbor, a colleague, a mother, a friend, and a sister.
For nearly two decades, she helped shape OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation not only through her leadership, wisdom, and friendship, but through the way she lived, gently, fiercely, and always with deep reverence for the mystery of being human.
In these days of reflection and remembering, we keep returning to the lessons she lived by. These aren’t just ideas she taught, they’re moments she embodied. This is not a summary of her life, but a trail of echoes, still resonating, still reminding us.
1. Make space for what matters.
Nicola often reminded those training for ministry that “people don’t die when you have space in your diary,” a gentle nudge to keep room in our lives for the sacred, the sudden, the real. She knew that being of service required not only presence, but enough stillness to meet life as it arrives.
OneSpirit Minister Laura shared: “She reminded me so lovingly, ‘If what you want to do is be in service for those who are dying, and funeral work, you need to be less busy… People don’t die when you have a gap in your diary, so make sure you keep open spaces.’”
2. Say the true thing, with care.
She emphasized the importance of balancing honesty with sensitivity, advocating for a truthful approach delivered with compassion.
OneSpirit Minister Laura also wrote: “She brought so many gifts to me during my training, and today left this earthly plane… I find myself in all the places, of deep anger at a life just getting ready to bloom further, after so many years of deep service and giving.”
3. Believe in people before they believe in themselves.
So many who knew Nicola have shared this: she saw something in them before they could see it in themselves. She didn’t wait for perfection or polish, she simply recognized your light and held up a mirror so you could see it too.
OneSpirit Minister Tania shared: “She saw me like nobody else ever has and that was my deepest healing.” She added, “She believed in me at a time when all I did was confuse and upset people… She asked me about my dreams, both the ones I had in my sleep and the ambitions I held close to my heart. She cared and she listened.”
4. Presence is everything.
Nicola didn’t fill rooms with noise or demand attention. She was present in a way that drew people in. Her presence, grounded, generous, unhurried, was her power. She showed us that ministry is often less about doing and more about being.
OneSpirit Minister Tania, called her: “a woman who walked through the world with fierce love and deep reverence.”
Nicola speaking at an Ordination & Graduation Ceremony, shared by OneSpirit Staff Member, Lindsay.
5. Let it be messy. Let it be real.
She taught that growth isn’t always graceful, and that conflict, when welcomed with compassion, can be a path to deeper understanding. Nicola never demanded we be perfect, only that we be honest and open to learning.
Karen, a OneSpirit Minister and former student, wrote: “She handled criticism masterfully, having no need to please everyone and letting everyone feel both lovingly held and deeply accountable. That is how she empowered us.”
6. Remember what matters.
Even in her final weeks, what she cared most about was people. Connection. Integrity. Care. She reached out to those she loved. She celebrated the work of others. She gave thanks. She stayed soft.
Gloria, who worked alongside Nicola, shared: “Her love for her family was radiant, a blessing to witness… She now joins her beloved mother and her ancestors, surely embraced with love and light.”
Nicola changed lives. Not in grand, performative ways, but in quiet, soul-level moments. Through presence. Through questions. Through a well-timed text message or an unexpected blessing. Through simply being who she was.
Sometimes, we struggle to find the words for a loss like this. And maybe that’s the point, some lives aren’t meant to be summed up, only carried forward. She reminded us that what we do matters, but how we do it matters even more.
We will miss her terribly. But we carry her with us. In the way we listen. In the way we lead. In the way we show up for each other.
With love and gratitude, always,
Your OneSpirit Team
