Felisa Howard Felisa Howard was a Human healer from the Caldos colony on Caldos , born in 2270 . Although she was not a professional doctor , she had taught herself how to use herbs and root s in place of traditional medications and developed other remedies . She was also known for her frank advice and wisdom . Felisa kept detailed journals of her life , going back many year s from the time of her death . She also served as keeper of the Howard family candle and as host for the anaphasic lifeform Ronin , who had been living with Howard women for centuries . Felisa ' s favorite flower was the camellia – she always kept fresh camellias in her house . ( ) Felisa ' s son , Paul Howard , and his wife , Isabel , died when their daughter , Beverly , was a young girl . Felisa , whom Beverly called " Nana , " adopted her . Both Howards were present for the terrible Arvada III disaster , and it was here that Felisa learned many of her remedies . She passed this knowledge on to Beverly , inspiring her to attend medical school . ( ) Felisa often made vegetable soup , including pea s and carrot s , which Beverly recalled as delicious when she was stranded without food on planet Kesprytt . ( ) Felisa and Beverly moved to Caldos colony by at least 2342 , since that was when Beverly entered Starfleet Academy , subsequently marrying Jack Crusher in 2348 . Felisa remained on Caldos after Beverly had left . While there , she often had resident Ned Quint take care of her affairs . Quint was somewhat aware of Ronin ' s presence , believing him to be a ghost . ( ) Felisa was over one hundred years old when she died in 2370 , apparently of natural causes . Beverly , now a Starfleet officer and chief medical officer aboard the starship , returned to Caldos aboard the ship to deliver a eulogy . While there , she found her grandmother ' s journals , and discovered that she had a 34 - year old lover named Ronin . They had met shortly after Felisa ' s mother ' s funeral . Ronin was in fact an anaphasic lifeform who had been living with Howard women for centuries . Their biochemistry allowed him to maintain molecular cohesion , and he used the family candle as a receptacle . Ronin had attempted to merge with Beverly as well , but " Enterprise " - D crew members investigating the failure of the colony ' s weather modification network nearly uncovered his secret . Felisa ' s body registered anaphasic signatures from her time with Ronin and was exhumed as part of the investigation and Ronin took control of her , incapacitating Lieutenant Commander s Data and Geordi La Forge . Beverly then destroyed the candle and Ronin himself , and Felisa was likely returned to her grave . Although Ronin may have ultimately been a malicious presence in Felisa ' s life , her journals revealed he made her very happy . ( ) Journal excerpt . From Felisa Howard ' s journal : Appendices . Background information . Felisa Howard was played by actress Ellen Albertini Dow . Felisa was first mentioned in , but didn ' t get a name until . Brannon Braga named Felisa after his own grandmother who had died shortly before the latter episode was written . ( " " ) Her exact age is somewhat uncertain . Beverly Crusher said " " Nana was a hundred years old , " " but it is unclear whether this meant she was one hundred at the time of her death , or one hundred at the time she met Ronin following Crusher ' s great - grandmother ' s death years prior . Given the long lifespan expected in the 24th century , it is entirely possible she was a great deal older than one hundred . Her tombstone gives the birth date of 2291 , apparently making her only seventy - nine at the time of her death in 2370 . On the other hand , the script specifies the tombstone text as " FELISA HOWARD - BORN 2270 , DIED 2370 " , confirming the simplest interpretation of Beverly ' s line . At Felisa ' s funeral the colony leader , Maturin , used Christian Bible verses at the burial . There is no reference to indicate whether this was simply a burial tradition or that Felisa was a practicing Christian .