One of UNMC’s longtime supporters, Nancy (Roker) Armitage, died Monday at her home following more than a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. Armitage, who is the wife of James Armitage, M.D., a legendary oncologist at UNMC and its clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, was 70.
Service information
A memorial service for Nancy Armitage will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, March 3, at Countryside Community Church, 8787 Pacific St.
Both the Armitages grew up in Kearney, Neb., where they first met in nursery school as young toddlers and went to Kearney High School together. Nancy went on to earn her nursing degree from Bryan Nursing School in Lincoln.
“Everyone needs a guardian angel. Nancy was Jim’s for a lifetime,” said Mike Sorrell, M.D., professor, UNMC Department of Internal Medicine-Division of Gastroenterology-Hepatology and longtime friend.
Nancy Armitage earned a nursing degree and worked at University of Nebraska Hospital, where she helped open the first intensive care unit for surgical patients on 6 West.
Read Omaha World-Herald columnist Mike Kelly’s tribute to Nancy Armitage here.
As Dr. Armitage’s career as a world-renowned lymphoma expert took off, Nancy Armitage took on the task of being a mother and grandmother to their four children and 11 grandchildren. She also became a key, behind-the-scenes figure in meeting with many of her husband’s patients and providing support to them.
One of the Armitages’ sons, Joel, earned his medical degree at UNMC and is on the UNMC faculty serving as assistant professor, internal medicine-general medicine.
Active in the community, Nancy Armitage played an important role in supporting her husband when he served as king of Aksarben in 1998.
Over the past year, more than $940,000 has been raised to establish the Nancy Armitage Pancreas Cancer Clinical Research Professorship at UNMC. Much of the money raised came from family friends and former patients who had been treated by Dr. Armitage. Nancy’s mother died of pancreatic cancer at age of 67.
The ultimate goal is to raise $1 million, so an endowed chair can be established.
To make a gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation, click here. Pledge cards also are available in the Oncology/Hematology Offices on the 8th floor of the Lied Transplant Center, the Cowdery Patient Care Center on the 2nd floor of the Lied Transplant Center, or by contacting Tom Thompson at the University of Nebraska Foundation at (402) 502-4116.
Click here to read a Jan. 30 column on the Armitages in the Omaha World-Herald.