Nellie Wong, So Beloved

Dear friends, family, comrades, and supporters,

We are writing with a heavy heart to inform you that on Friday, January 2, 2026, at 9 a.m. PST, Nellie Wong passed away at her home in San Francisco. She was being attended by Bob Price, her close friend and comrade of many years.

In the month since Nellie was first admitted to the hospital for stomach pain and trouble eating, her mind has stayed sharp, and her spirit has been buoyant, even in the face of her diagnosis. She made the choice to keep her quality of life so she could continue writing and creating. Up until a few days ago, she was bright and present. Before her passing, her pain increased and her decline was swift. Now, she is at peace.

Our hearts are broken. Nellie had such an outsized impact on so many lives and never lost her activism. Her commitment to a more just world as a longtime member of the Freedom Socialist Party and Radical Women was an integral part of her identity. Even in the hospital, she was championing workers and their labor. Her accomplishments in writing speak for themselves. We have lost an incredible woman, one who has lit up our lives in a myriad of ways. Her voice, her words, and her smile will be missed, but her influence lives on.

Information on services honoring Nellie’s memory will come soon. Thank you to everyone who sent kind words, thoughts through Nellie’s Caringbridge and donated funds in support of her in-home care. Thank you to her caretakers and devoted friends, Team Nellie, who helped to ease her transition.

We are so grateful.

Poetry from Violence, the anthology in which my very first poem, We Can Always, was published (1975).