Eleanor "Nell" Hurley

Eleanor “Nell” Hurley, whose life and times began and ended in the community of St. Paul that filled her soul with joy she gifted to countless other people, died April 25, 2026, from cancer. She was 56 years old, too young.

Mom, spouse, mother-in-law, daughter-in-law, sister, aunt, niece, cousin and grandmother, her family was everything to Nell. She is survived by her son, Jasper Weissbach, and her husband, William C. Moyers, along with William’s three children, Henry, Thomas and Nancy Moyers, their spouses, and granddaughter Ruby Moyers. Their blended family fit nearly perfectly from the first day she and William met, in the summer of 2009.

Nell is also survived by her brother, Jamie Hurley, of San Francisco, and her brother, Frank Hurley and his wife, Dara Oken, of south Minneapolis, as well as numerous nephews, first and second cousins and aunts residing across the Twin Cities and beyond. Her mother-in-law, Judith Davidson Moyers of New York City, also survives her. As does a sister-in-law, Suzanne Moyers of New Jersey and brother-in-law, John Moyers, of Vermont.

Nell’s parents, Molly and Frank Hurley, predeceased her.

The Crocus Hill neighborhood is where Nell was born on August 4, 1969. Nell died a block away, in the home she and William shared after they were married in 2014.

Nell had many professional interests, but her calling came as a community educator in recovery wellness. As a woman in long-term recovery from a substance use disorder, Nell harnessed her own personal journey to inspire and help people find hope and healing. She was the founding executive director of Minnesota Recovery Connection, the state’s first organization for nonclinical peer recovery support services, public education and community advocacy.

A master at yoga and kettlebell training, Nell valued her healthy lifestyle. Over the decades she competed in several marathons and in 2021 achieved a lifelong goal to run and finish the New York City Marathon.

Nell invested a premium in her friends. She was loyal to them, and they were loyal to Nell to her last day, surrounding her with selfless love that eased her passage to a better place. Her family especially wants to thank Anna, Sara, Rebecca and Kris (“Nell’s NorthStars”) as well as “dog whisperer” Stephanie and knitting guru Kristin.

In the final stage of her journey, Nell and the family benefited from the practical wisdom of end-of-life doula Jane Whitlock and the dedicated, compassionate staff of Our Lady of Peace Hospice and Home Care.

There is a visitation from 4 to 7 p.m. on May 21 at O’Halloran & Murphy Funeral Home on South Snelling Avenue in St. Paul. A private funeral for family will follow the next day.

Instead of flowers, please honor Nell with a donation to SHE RECOVERS (www.sherecovers.org), an organization that she believed in deeply.