Nancy C (Herard) Herard-Marshall

Nancy Carmel Hérard-Marshall, age 57, of New York, NY, began her transitional journey to the ancestral realm from her home on Sunday, May 26, 2024.
Nancy was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1966 to Anite and Gesner Hérard, Sr. She loved the historical significance of her Haitian ancestry and delved deeply into the language, culture, and customs of her people. She was a business owner, actress, and a dance/movement therapist who had especially fond memories of all the times she spent dancing with her father. Nancy brought joy and laughter to all who knew her and she in turn loved her family, friends, and most of all her two sons.

Nancy attended Far Rockaway High School before studying, attending, and receiving her Master’s degree in Psychotherapy at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY.
Her children Gerard Douglas Brown IV and Jason William Marshall Jr. meant the world to her. Nancy also had a soft spot for their dog Ebony, treating her like a valuable family member.
Nancy was particularly close to her siblings Aurelle, Ronald, and Gesner Jr. throughout their lives. They cherished memories together from beach days at Far Rockaway, NY to enjoying each other’s company; they were together through rough and good times.
Nancy was predeceased by her parents, several uncles, aunts, and cousins.

She is survived by her sons, siblings, nephews, nieces, and extended family and friends.

Dance/Movement Therapist
Licensed Creative Arts Therapist

Educator Healer Dancer Actress Mom Sister Friend

Nancy Herard-Marshall, aka “Queen Nancy” born on August 23rd 1966, transitioned from this physical realm on May 26th, 2024. Nancy was a proud Haitian-American African centered dance/movement psychotherapist, authentic movement practitioner, dancer, Kukuwa® African dance fitness instructor, trained Spiritual Life Coach, Ra Sekhi Kemetic reiki practitioner, a Vodoun priestess initiate, and a dedicated metastatic breast cancer patient advocate living in NYC.

As a former dancer, actress, enthusiastic world traveler, and a mother of two, Nancy used her life experiences and culture to empower others and foster healing. Her devotion and commitment to serving her community inspired her to found Gaya Healing Arts–a body-based and creative arts psychotherapeutic practice which provided culturally affirming therapy to Black, Indigenous and people of color – integrating artistic, contemporary, and ancestral healing techniques. As a Licensed Dance/Movement Therapist, she gathered vast clinical experience working with diverse populations such as inpatient acute psychiatric care, outpatient co-occurring addiction and mental health conditions, HIV/AIDS and chronic illness, special needs populations, and behavioral
disorders. Nancy was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ, an early stage cancer which she treated and healed from, but later during the COVID-2019 pandemic she was diagnosed
with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). In the face of this diagnosis, Nancy continued to shine and thrive, to dance, and to advocate for others, all while showing up for herself, her family, her friends, and her community.

As an educator and visiting instructor, Nancy taught Intro to Dance Movement Therapy, Cultural Competency and Social Justice in the Creative Arts Therapies, and was hired as a curriculum consultant in the Creative Arts Therapy Department at Pratt Institute, NY. Considered a wise “elder” in a youthful body, Nancy was an esteemed and respected original member of the Black MAGIC Affinity Group, and she counseled and mentored Black DMT students and new professionals and was pivotal to the vision and integration of African-Centered psychology into the DMT educational curriculum. Nancy was undeniably an activist at heart, not only fighting for justice of her Haitian people back at home, but an influential voice in the DMT field fighting for visibility, upliftment, and liberation of Black DMTs and all Black people of the African Diaspora.
Nancy, who lived with metastatic breast cancer for four years, believed wholeheartedly in the importance and impact of patient advocacy. She was a vibrant and inspiring presence in bringing integrative care to the metastatic breast cancer (MBC) community and incessantly working to end racial disparities for Black people in cancer care. ​She completed Living Beyond Breast Cancer’s Hear My Voice leadership training in 2021. As part of the GRASP network, a patient-led program that connects patient advocates with clinicians and researchers, she supported learning exchanges that informed cancer research. As a member of Susan G. Komen’s MBC Steering Committee, she gave presentations for the organization on palliative care and integrative therapies. She also
served as an individual member of the MBC Alliance, joining their Clinical Care Working Group and becoming part of a subcommittee working to change the conversation on palliative care.
Nancy brought hope, compassion and provided a positive outlook to all of her spaces. She truly believed that each individual possesses self-healing powers and believed in guiding others in harnessing their optimal capacity. This led her to shift her focus from her psychotherapeutic work with Gaya Healing Arts to focus on advocacy in the metastatic breast cancer (MBC) community. Her passion and focus is reflected in her MBCmoves! project. MBCmoves! brings therapeutic and conscious dance to the MBC community in order to enhance emotional, mental and physical wellbeing to those diagnosed with MBC. She was highlighted as a facilitator at LBBC’s 2023 annual metastatic breast cancer conference by leading guests in a joyful and life changing exploration of movement.
Nancy was a renowned and loved member of various communities. Earlier this year 2024, she was the recipient of the Phenomenal Health & Wellness Spirit Woman Award earlier by La “V” en Rose Productions in Queens, NY and also she was accepted into the Africa Elevate Fellowship Program with A Fresh Chapter organization, in which she was going to travel to Kenya in September 2024 to continue learning and collaborating with local cancer advocates to foster policy change. This organization just named her Honorary Fellow Member in her memory.
Nancy Hérard-Marshall was the epitome of living a life with purpose, a life rooted in black joy, love, community, spirit, culture, racial pride, and honorable values. Nancy truly embodied the foundational “Healing through Dance” principle, and always inspired others to use their bodies to heal themselves. She used all her inherent wisdom and ancestral medicine to uplift herself bringing healing and transformation in her life and she was passionate about bringing the same to others. She indeed was and continues to be a gift to our community. Her legacy is one of a true Queen, thank you Queen Nancy for all you gave to all of us: to your family, to your children, to your friends, to your clients, and to all of your communities!
You are deeply loved and deeply missed…
May you rest in Power!

The family wishes to thank Martin’s Home for Service Inc, family, and friends for your prayers, love, and support during this time.

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