'Whopping, happy-go-lucky, New Orleans-style party': Celebrating the life of Nancy Pauli
The Kitchener-Waterloo Dixieland Jazz Club held a rumpus New Orleans-style wake on Saturday, in remembrance of its long-time director Nancy Pauli. Pauli passed away in February at the age of 81.
“We wanted it to be a whopping, happy-go-lucky, New Orleans-style party, which she would have loved,” Wayne Pauli, Nancy’s husband said.
Musicians perform at the Kitchener-Waterloo Dixieland Jazz Club on May 28, 2022. (Dan Lauckner/CTV Kitchener)
Attendees said they remember Nancy’s happy spirit and how she always helped boost the mood of any party.
"A very loving, warm person who just loved to have fun. If you really knew her, you loved her," Dan Rudow, director of the Kitchener-Waterloo Dixieland Jazz Club said.
Nancy was also a lover of Dixieland jazz music. Her friends said she was often the first and last one on the dance floor.
"Being up at nine in the morning for the first event and being last to go to bed and having people back for after parties and things like that. It's just incredible how much fun she could have," Rudow said.
Photos of Nancy Pauli are displayed at her wake on May 28, 2022. (CTV Kitchener)
Nancy and Wayne instantly knew they shared a love for the genre of music when they met in 1995. They got married on the stage of a jazz festival three years later.
The couple spent 25 years travelling to festivals all over the world, including at least 15 trips to Nancy's favourite, New Orleans.
“We used to dress up in our silly costumes on Friday morning and go in the parade down Bourbon Street. Nancy always had her mug in her hand, with a beer, and we marched on Bourbon Street to the park and just partied all day long. She loved it,” Wayne Pauli said.
'It's just incredible how much fun she could have,' a friend said of Nancy Pauli. (CTV Kitchener)
"It was her passion in life to listen to this music and be out with people and just have the community of music with these people,” Mark Pauli, Nancy’s stepson said.
The couple also ran the K-W Dixieland Jazz Club for more than two decades. It gave them a chance to share their love of music with local residents, while attracting new acts each week.
“Mostly they came from Toronto, but we have a trombone player here today from Ottawa. We have musicians come from the states,” Wayne Pauli said.
"She was the biggest jazz fan that anybody probably ever knew. That's what they did every Saturday afternoon," Mark Pauli said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Four people arrested at National War Memorial in Ottawa as Canada Day celebrations begin
Police officers in cruisers, on foot patrol and on bicycles are patrolling the Parliamentary Precinct, the ByWard Market and the so-called 'motor vehicle control zone,' as the city prepares for Canada's 155th birthday celebrations and possible protests.

2 slain gunmen still unidentified after Saanich shooting: BC RCMP
Saanich police will hold another update on a deadly shooting that took place on Tuesday afternoon, leaving two suspects dead and six officers with gunshot wounds.
Royal Canadian Navy relieves Pacific fleet ship commander for 'inappropriate conduct'
The Royal Canadian Navy says it has relieved the commanding officer of a warship in the Pacific Fleet.
Mounties issue 80 tickets in B.C. national park after crashes kill 3 bears in 6 days
Multiple crashes involving bears in a B.C. national park earlier this month prompted a crackdown on drivers in the area, according to the B.C. Highway Patrol and Parks Canada.
Here's what Air Canada and WestJet have said about reducing flights
Two of Canada's largest airlines announced steps this week to cope with delays, cancellations and service issues. Head to CTVNews.ca to read about the changes announced by Air Canada and WestJet.
Convoy organizer Lich to spend at least 5 more nights in custody
Ottawa protest organizer Tamara Lich will spend at least five more nights in custody in Ottawa after she was arrested in Alberta for allegedly breaching bail conditions.
Approximately 675K eligible to vote in Conservative leadership race: party
The Conservative Party of Canada says approximately 675,000 members will be eligible to vote in this year's leadership race.
Shooting in Newark wounds 9; all expected to survive: police
Nine people, including a teenager, were wounded Thursday evening in gunfire outside a neighborhood grocery shop in Newark, police said.
Omicron cousin BA.5 predicted to cause nearly 70 per cent of COVID-19 cases by Canada Day
Researchers examining the threat of emerging COVID-19 strains predict Omicron BA.5 will account for nearly 70 per cent of cases in much of the country by Canada Day.