Nancy Farris, assistant professor of the UNMC College of Nursing Omaha Division, died March 10.
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| Nancy Farris |
Farris, who was 65, joined the college of nursing 32 years ago as an instructor.
Visitation will be held today from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and a vigil will follow in Omaha at the West Center Chapel, Heafey Hoffmann Dworak Cutler, 7805 W. Center Road.
A funeral mass will be held Wednesday, March 16, at 11:15 a.m. at St. Cecilia Cathedral, 701 N. 40th St.
During her career, Farris also worked as a nurse for the college’s Mobile Nursing Center, at Nebraska Medicine and former UNMC clinics, Bishop Clarkson Hospital, and as a nursing instructor at College of St. Mary and Iowa Western Community College.
Farris, an advanced practice registered nurse, earned an associate’s degree in nursing from the College of St. Mary in 1978. From the UNMC College of Nursing, she earned a bachelor’s in nursing in 1980 and a master’s degree in community health nursing in 1986.
"My thoughts and prayers go out to Nancy and her family and to all in the college who worked so closely with Nancy," said Juliann Sebastian, PhD, dean of the UNMC College of Nursing. "I will always remember Nancy's kindness, her dedication to public health nursing and her straightforward approach to things."
Louise LaFramboise, PhD, associate professor and assistant dean of the Omaha division, said she worked with Farris for most of her career at the college.
"Nancy was always a strong advocate for underserved populations and helped students to appreciate the daily challenges faced by individuals who were economically, educationally or socially disadvantaged," Dr. LaFramboise said. "As a lifelong population health nurse, Nancy taught all of us to appreciate the impact a nurse working in the community can have on the health of individuals, families and communities."
She was a member of the American Nurses Association, the Nebraska Nurses Association and the Sigma Theta Tau, Gamma Pi Chapter.
For more information, see her obituary information online.
Nancy has left an amazing legacy through her efforts as a passionate educator, a public health warrior and an amazing human. Nancy is going to be sorely missed.
Nancy was a great one. She had a special talent for teaching and caring for the underserved.
I will miss Nancy…Nancy was the Good Samaritan. She was the first one who greeted me here at UNMC College of Nursing when I arrived from Michigan as Assistant Dean and I didn’t really no anyone and it would be a year before my family moved here as well. I remember when she stopped by my office just to say hi to check on me. I am hearing impaired but I could hear the heaviness of her staggering, slow walk when her illness struck her foot as she came down the hall just to check on me and say hello. That is Nancy, there was nothing slow about her—she was a gift . She had an enormous heart for others and she came to visit me to see if there was anything she could do to help and gifted me with a smile despite if she was hurting physically, suffering in silence—she was more concerned about her students and faculty than herself. Her characteristic voice and smile rings and clings forever in my head and I will miss her and will remember her goodness and mercy in the face of living with miserable chronic health challenges. God bless her and when I see her again, I hope to run and give her a big hug in her new painless body. What a Saint; What a Great Person; What a Great Nurse Faculty; What a Great Colleague; and What a Friend! with Deepest Sympathy to All, Amy Jude Hoffman, PhD, RN, FAAAN
Nancy was a wonderful colleague and really cared for her patients. She would always make a point to come over in clinic and check on how you were doing that day.
I valued working with Nancy on student placements and will miss her!
Nancy taught courses during my accelerated RN program in 2019. I remember her as a caring and relatable instructor. I am pursing public health now as an RN and she helped to inspire me on this path.
Nancy was good friend, colleague and mentor. She will most definitely be missed.
I'm forever grateful for her hiring me as a grad assistant to buy only help pay for grad school, but expose me to a side of nursing I never really knew about before. In addition, many valuable lessons were learned because of that experience under her watch. She was very caring but didn't put up with excuses. Loved that about her!