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Nancy Schneckloth, left, and Audrey Nelson, Ph.D., work on the UNMC College of Nursing Alumni Association museum project. Memorial services will be held Saturday for Schneckloth, who died Friday of Lou Gehrig’s disease. |
Schneckloth, a longtime faculty member at the UNMC College of Nursing, died Friday of Lou Gehrig’s disease. She was 70.
Schneckloth, who began her career as an operating room nurse, taught at the college from 1961 to 2003 when she retired. After retirement, she continued working as a clinical educator in the operating room at UNMC’s hospital partner, The Nebraska Medical Center.
She earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in nursing from UNMC.
“The college is very saddened by the loss of Nancy,” said Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing. “Nancy remained very active with the college in her emeritus faculty role until her illness. She was much loved by faculty, staff and students and she will be sorely missed. We truly share in the family’s great grief at her loss.”
Minnie Thornton, UNMC College of Nursing alum and former president of the UNMC College of Nursing Alumni Association, was Schneckloth’s colleague and friend.
“When I had a question about something related to nursing in the operating room, Nancy was the source,” Thornton said. “She was the most professional nurse with all the qualities of knowledge and dedication and was the epitome of an operating nurse.
“She cared about patients and was always so pleasant and helpful. It’s such a great loss.”
As co-chairwoman of the UNMC College of Nursing Alumni Association museum project, Schneckloth was instrumental in the college’s museum, which opened in 2005. She also is the author of a book on the first 75 years of the college’s history.
She worked for Shelly Schwedhelm for more than 15 years in the operating room at The Nebraska Medical Center.
“She was my go-to person for operating room knowledge. Early in my career I depended on her expertise,” Schwedhelm said. “One of Nancy’s former students told me that Nancy was one of those teachers who never forgot her name and always acknowledged her in the hallway when she saw her.”
Click here to see a complete obituary from the Omaha World-Herald.
Ms Schneckloth was an inspiration to me through her instruction, her personal advice, and her professional advice when asked for information she gained from her nursing tour during Vietnam which I have utilized to guide into what I learned and taught to my cohorts in service. I'd probably not have made it without her. Godspeed.