Lisa Nostadt & Bill Bixby's Care Fund

June 14, 2023

Dear St. Isabella and St. Anselm Teachers and Parents,

I am writing this letter on behalf of my husband. As you may remember, over spring break we got the unwelcome news that Bill had a new aggressive prostate cancer after having successfully battled lymphoma since July 2022. Then on May 11th we got the devastating news that his original lymphoma cancer was also back. At that time there was still the possibility of a new kind of chemotherapy followed by a treatment called CAR T-Cell Therapy.

The weeks following are still a blur but there were two long hospital visits at Oakland Kaiser to begin the new kind of chemotherapy and then a second stay at the San Rafael Kaiser when he had a fever and infection sometime during the third or fourth week of May. During the stay at the San Rafael Kaiser, tests showed the chemotherapy in Oakland had not helped and my sweet husband and I had to bear the awful news that he was considered terminal with approximately two months to live. We returned home and began hospice at home with By the Bay Health.

I am broken hearted to say that Bill passed away on Sunday, June 11th at 1 am, much earlier than was predicted. On the Wednesday morning prior to his death he told me that he felt he would be dying soon. By that point we’d both accepted the facts as well as we could. His death was peaceful and without pain. He went through so much since last July, we both did. He didn’t deserve this and fought so bravely against it. I’m sure he would want all of us to remember him as he was in the not-so-distant past, a strong, healthy, happy, funny, carefree, adventurous, brave, kind, generous and gifted man. Surely his legacy will continue in all the lives of the people who he influenced and inspired.

At his request he does not want any kind of memorial service. The lonely grief and pain I feel is deep and wide. I need some time to just rest and get my bearings for a new normal without my best friend. I feel a strong need for community alongside the need to be alone with my thoughts about Bill. Once again, our deepest gratitude to our school communities, we felt surrounded by loving support this past year. Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you.

Lisa Nostadt (Bill Bixby’s wife)

Bill Bixby and Lisa Nostadt are our teachers. Beautiful Human does not begin to describe the love they have for one another, our children, and our communities. Each have committed themselves to educating our youth, inspiring positive change, and growing evermore committed to sending our children out into the world encouraged to make a difference. Learning of Bill's recent diagnosis brought forth an immense wave of support from our local communities. We are asking for your monetary support as well as your prayers and compassion during this challenging time. Please take a moment to read more about their lives, as well as Lisa's kind letter to the parents of her students (below).

Bill Bixby, in his words, from the Saint Isabella School Website:

I have been a science teacher at Saint Isabella School since 2004. It has been a very rewarding teaching experience to work in the Saint Isabella community. Prior to my work at Saint Isabella, I was a Science Specialist at the Richardson Bay Audubon Center in Tiburon and at the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco. As a science teacher I believe in hands-on and experiential learning and I hope my science classes inspire a lifelong interest in learning.

Lisa Nostadt-Bixby, in her words, from the Saint Anselm School Website:

Cross-Cultural Lanugage and Academic Development Certification, 2006

Elementary Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, 1996

Bachelor of Arts Degree in Multiple Subject Teaching, 1991

My favorite thing about the grade/subject I teach: Every day I have the chance to teach science to a wide range of ages in K-5 while collaborating with many different teachers. I teach children to love a subject I am passionate about as we do hands-on, creative and cooperative projects and experiments. This truly is my dream job. I have the chance to teach each child for six years! Over the years I watch each child grow, evolve and change. It is such a privilege to be a part of a healthy, loving community of people at St. Anselm and to know in my heart I am a part of the community growing and changing and getting stronger every year.

Lisa's Beautiful Words:

Bill and I met on August 21, 1988 on the first day I arrived in California from Pennsylvania. I clearly remember the whoosh of recognition of "This is my husband" the instant I met him. In fact, we met at the Audubon Sanctuary in Tiburon where we both taught science. I loved and trusted this extremely kind and gentle man immediately and over the years have only loved him more. We both agreed just last evening that in our life together we have had more than our fair share of fun and adventure and love together. Bill is the best friend I could ever dream of, which makes this awful devastating experience all the more painful. Cancer is a cruel disease and we compare it to a natural disaster that happens inside your body. One of the joys of these past years, for me fifteen and for him nineteen, is the firm and solid grounded feeling we have both felt in our school communities of St. Anselm and St. Isabella. Our roots have run deep and we have had so many joys with so many thousands of kids. It has been a privilege for both of us to teach science and a whole lot of great fun. It has been so painful for him to leave St. Isabella in such an abrupt way.

(Lisa's Letter to Our School Community)

Dear St. Anselm Parents,

Thank you for all of the kind wishes and prayers since I returned to teaching science at the end of February. It has been such a blessing for both my husband and me to be around children again and teach after so many months of lonely worrying. Cancer is a cruel disease. After our good news about my husband’s cancer recovery on January 20 and the joy of watching my best friend get stronger again, over spring break we got some unwelcome news. Bill now has an aggressive prostate cancer that needs treatment. On top of that, on May 11th we got the devastating news that his original lymphoma cancer is also back and so we are once again in the process of testing and likely starting more aggressive treatments when the doctors have more complete information. We are in that phase now.

Bill needs to take the rest of the year off. I hope to continue working until 12:30-12:45 daily for the remainder of the school year. As you can imagine, I am a little fragile and really request that, at least for now, you not ask too many questions about how things are going. We are juggling quite a bit right now. For the past fifteen years, I’ve been so grateful to be in the St. Anselm community, surrounded by teachers and families I love. Please keep us in your prayers. Thank you for your support and compassion. Thank you.

Lisa Nostadt

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Lisa and Bill and their experience. Our kindness and generosity would help bring a bit of peace and Light to two people who have given so much of themselves to our families over many years. We are grateful to each of you for your campassion and generosity.