Ty Pennington Mourns Death of Dear Friend From ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’

Ty Pennington is mourning after the death of a close friend, Nancy Hadley. Hadley will be familiar to viewers of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, the show Pennington hosted for many years. Hadley died Tuesday evening, her family said on Facebook. The renovation expert also contributed to Tabatha Take Over, Tattoo Rescue, Bar Rescue and Kitchen Nightmares in art director and production designer roles.

“I truly believe she came into this world, with a paintbrush in her hand and a smile on her face,” Pennington wrote on Instagram, alongside a gallery of photos with Hadley. “I’m so grateful for that day in California, when Nancy showed up as a volunteer, put on [an] EMHE shirt, and immediately became family. It’s like she knew we needed her, not just her incredible talents but also her spirit.”

“Nancy put her HEART, and clearly her SOUL, into every mural, every project, and every conversation she was a part of,” Pennington continued. “She made every day better, even when you hadn’t slept for 3 days straight! My heart breaks for Jevon and the kids.”

The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition team was “so lucky” to have known Hadley, Pennington wrote, before wondering why so many of the “kindest souls” die young. “I’m gonna miss you, Nancy. Thank you for everything,” he continued. “I hope you’re up there having a laugh with Denise and Frank. Save me a spot on your mural in Heaven, okay? Love you, friend.”

Hadley’s family shared the sad news with her followers on Facebook Wednesday. She died just before 8 p.m. Tuesday night, surrounded by her children, her sister, and her husband Jevon. “Her day today was much easier than the last six; her pain was under control, and we spent the day talking to her, singing to her, and reading messages of your kindness and love to her,” Jevon wrote. “We covered her bed in rose petals and watched over her until she drifted quietly away. I am grateful that she chose me, and for the life we built together.”

Hadley’s journey to television was unique. While watching Extreme Makeover in 2004, she had the feeling that she could be an interior designer, she told the Orange County Register in 2008. After an episode, she saw the show’s website had an “Ask Ty a Question” section. So she simply asked, “Can I help you?” A producer responded to her email, and she began working on the show as an unpaid volunteer.

One day, the show’s designer, Paul DiMeo, told her he would see her at the next project. “We’ll see. I’ve got to get paid. I’ve got childcare and other expenses,” Hadley replied. DiMeo didn’t know Hadley wasn’t working for a paycheck on the show and he was not happy. “So the next show I got hired as a scenic artist and lead muralist,” Hadley said. The show became her “home away from home” for the next few years. However, after hearing about a boy being run over and killed while walking to school, she quit Extreme Makeover to be with her family.

“I questioned everything that I’d been compromising to be on the road,” Hadley said in 2008. “Here I was, helping other families, and at home, my own (family) had been traumatized by this while I was away.”

Hadley then did design consulting work for a while before she was hired as an art director for Kitchen Nightmares. After her time on that show, she worked on TLC’s Trading Spaces.