June Werner

1924 - 2015

April 3, 1924 - May 18, 2015 Beloved wife, mother, and renowned and respected nursing executive and educator, June Werner, RN, MSN, passed away peacefully at home in Albuquerque, New Mexico, surrounded by family, including her loving husband of 57 years, Dr. Oswald "Ossy" Werner. June is survived by her four children, Barrett, Deborah, Derek, and Rickard--their spouses and partners, Jean Leete, Thomas Flannery, Joan Lucci, and Kathryn Brown Werner--and grandchildren Jordan Leete, Jessica and Jonathan Flannery, Alex Lucci Wetherbe, and Alexandra Brown Werner. She was born Elizabeth June Travers to Sarah McGee Travers and John Travers in Fall River, Massachusetts. June was the older sister of May Travers Hart. Sarah was a devoted mother, making many sacrifices to see that her daughters were well educated and exposed to as much of the wider world as she could find. Growing up during the Great Depression, June was exposed to role models who demonstrated great compassion for the less fortunate. These values shaped her personal and professional life. June is remembered as a passionate advocate of patient-centered care, social justice, and family. She was also devoted to supporting her husband, Ossy, in his work on medical anthropology on the Navajo reservation. Throughout her life, she greatly enriched the lives of her family, colleagues and students, both her own and Ossy's. One of the couple's countless student friends said of June: "She championed health, fairness and family and creatively extended the latter by incorporating many into her life, including a host of students and strays." June extended warmth to all people, built trust in all relationships and held passionately to her belief in social justice. June graduated from Columbia Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing in 1945, setting in motion a six-decade career as a nurse executive, and an innovator and educator in the area of patient-centered care. She earned a BSN in Nursing Education from Syracuse (New York) University School of Nursing in 1956, where she met Ossy while attending the Friends Meeting. June earned her first Master's degree in Nursing Education from Syracuse University and a second Master's degree in Psychiatric Nursing from St. Xavier College in Chicago, Illinois. She was chair of the Department of Nursing at Evanston Hospital Corp., Evanston, Illinois, from 1971 to 1990 where she launched the nation's first primary nursing model, transforming the relationship between patients and their caregivers. Primary nursing helped Evanston Hospital attract the most qualified, talented, and dedicated nursing staff. Her professional accomplishments included serving on the board of the Illinois Hospital Association, and as chair of the association's Council on Nursing. June was elected president of the American Organization of Nursing Executives in 1984, where she continued her national advocacy of patient-centered care. In recognition of her leadership, she earned numerous professional awards, including the 1978 Distinguished Alumna Award from Columbia University School of Nursing and the National League of Nursing's Jean McVicar Award to the Outstanding Nurse Executive for 1990. June is considered one of the most influential nurse executives of her time. June Werner's career in healthcare and community service did not end with her retirement from Evanston Hospital in 1990. In New Mexico, she served as president of Health Action New Mexico, a healthcare issue advocacy group. She later led Compassion and Choices, which focused on protecting the right to death with dignity. In her later life, she travelled extensively with her husband, and spent treasured time with her children, grandchildren, and extended family from around the world. June often reminded the many whom she held dear, "you are very precious and you cannot be replaced." We who loved her most are today poignantly aware of the abiding truth of June's words. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The American Friends Service Committee, the scholarship programs of the Columbia University School of Nursing, or the American Organization of Nursing Executives.