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Jene Pierson |
Pierson’s 40-year career at UNMC began after she earned a degree in medical technology from Clarkson College in 1962. She later earned a medical technology degree from UNMC in 1972.
After working as a medical technologist at UNMC and training other technologists, Pierson was made the first coordinator of the Lymphoma Study Group when it was launched in the early 1980s at UNMC. She was responsible for management of the group’s research data.
The group collaborated with oncologists and pathologists throughout Nebraska and eastern Iowa to accumulate data on patients with lymphoma, the sixth most common form of cancer in males and females. There are more than 30 different subtypes of lymphoma.
Memorial information
After her first marriage ended in divorce, Pierson raised her two children alone. She also cared for her mother, who suffered from dementia before her death.
In 1984, Pierson married William Pierson. They were married for 24 years before William died in 2008.
She is survived by her children, Mark Fritz, who lives in Peoria, Ariz., along with his wife, Mary, and their two children, Katie and Cole. Pierson’s daughter, Katherine Fritz-Kazantsev, lives in Boulder, Colo., with her husband, Alexei, and their two children, Jasper and Jayden. Other survivors include her sister Arlene Buckner, Louisville, Ky., and many nieces, nephews and friends.
A memorial service was held in Sun City, Ariz., on July 16. The family plans to return to Omaha for a burial service at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 29 at Graceland Park Cemetery, 4720 S. 42nd St. A reception will follow at 2 p.m. in the Linder Reading Room on the second floor of the Sorrell Center.
Memorials should go to the Hematological Malignancies Fund at the University of Nebraska Foundation in Omaha and the P.E.O. Foundation in Des Moines, Iowa.
By gathering extensive data on lymphoma cases, the Lymphoma Study Group is able to provide results that allows physicians to make more precise diagnoses and deliver more effective treatments to patients.
“The systems she put in place to collect and monitor data led to one of the most productive research efforts at UNMC,” said James Armitage, M.D., a UNMC oncologist who is considered to be one of the world’s leading experts on lymphoma. “She was a friend who had a lasting impact on our organization.”
Pierson went on to lead the Cancer Clinical Trials Office at UNMC. She was a co-author on more than 100 research articles and abstracts for scientific journals. She also helped provide training on how to conduct research to visiting oncology fellows coming through UNMC. Many of these fellows were from foreign countries.
“Jene was an invaluable member of our lymphoma research group for many years, and — by her work — she has contributed to the knowledge that we have today that has optimized the therapy for patients with lymphoma,” said Julie Vose, M.D., professor and chief of the UNMC division of hematology and oncology.
Pierson retired in 1999, but returned a year later as a research consultant for Elizabeth Reed, M.D., another UNMC oncologist. She assisted Dr. Reed until 2008.
“Jene was fun and smart and ahead of her time in her approaches to data collection and the use of data registries for research,” Dr. Reed said.
My sympathy to Jean's family. Jean was a wonderful resource to the Lymphoma research program, Dr. Reed's breast cancer research, and the entire UNMC community.