Dr. Nancy E. Warner

1923 - 2020

July 8, 1923 - August 17, 2020 Dr. Nancy E. Warner, physician, pathologist, teacher and pioneer for women in medicine and academia died peacefully in the late afternoon of August 17, 2020 at the age of 97. Born in 1923 in Dixon, Illinois, Dr. Warner's interest in medicine was first sparked when she received a microscope as a gift from her parents as a young girl. She was one of only seven women admitted to the University of Chicago School of Medicine in 1944, earning her M.D. in 1949. In approximately 1966, she was recruited to the University of Southern California School of Medicine, now the Keck School of Medicine, where she remained for the duration of her long career. At USC, Dr. Warner distinguished herself as a surgical pathologist specializing in endocrine pathology, publishing her work in scientific journals and in a textbook that received wide acclaim as state of the art for many years. In 1972, Dr Warner was appointed Chair of the Department of Pathology of the USC School of Medicine, and subsequently named the Hastings Professor of Pathology. This was a groundbreaking appointment for women, as she was not only the first woman chair at the USC School of Medicine, but was also the first woman chair of a pathology department in a co-educational institution in the United States. Dr. Warner served as Chair of the Department of Pathology for eleven years, stepping down to continue practicing surgical pathology at the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center. She strongly believed that chair positions should be held no longer than ten years to avoid entrenchment of leadership styles and to allow new ideas and directions to emerge. In 1993, Dr. Warner officially retired, but remained active in the USC community to teach and serve as a board member for the MFWA Research Fund, the Edmondson Faculty Center and the Retired Faculty Association. As an honored USC faculty member, Dr. Warner's 2002 USC Living History Project interview is on YouTube and in the USC Library. Dr. Warner's personal life was just as rich as her professional life. She had a life-long passion for photography that began at about the age of 7 or 8, when she received her first camera-a Brownie that cost one dollar. She continuously honed her photographic skills to document her extensive world-wide travels. Her favorite trips were to Antarctica, the Amazon and Siberia, though she could spin tales about her visits on each and every continent. In her later years, she became interested in genealogy, tracing her family tree for hundreds of years, and took up advocacy for environmental causes. At home in Pasadena, she documented the many species of birds that visited her gardens, and delighted in visits from wildlife as diverse as bobcats, lizards, coyotes, raccoons and more. Dr. Warner is survived by her nephews Henry Nichols and Dr. Peter Nichols and his wife Jody, her niece Nancy Nichols, her great nephews Dr. Peter Nichols Jr. and his wife, Arshya Adeli, Dr. Benjamin Nichols and his wife, Dr. Kambridge Hribar, and Jeffrey Fritts. She also leaves behind great niece Christina Carr, great-grandnieces Lucienne and Mitra, and great-grandnephews Lucan and Arman. She was preceded in death by her wife and partner of 60 years, Christine Reynolds, her parents, Henry and Lucile Warner, two sisters, Myra (Tatter) Nichols and Dr. Louise (Webe) Warner and nephew George (Chip) Nichols. She also leaves behind a large community of dear friends and colleagues, and a wonderful team of dedicated caregivers. Her resilience, her curiosity and her zest for life will be greatly missed. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a contribution in support of any of the following: The Nancy E. Warner Fund at the Keck School of Medicine of USC: Please contact Molly Gervais (mgervais@usc.edu) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, 1975 Zonal Avenue, KAM B16, Los Angeles, CA 90033-9026. The USC Emeriti Center Endowment Fund: Please contact the USC Emeriti Center at 213-740-7121.The Warner-Reynolds Fund in the Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality at the University of Chicago: Memorial contributions may be made by checks payable to "The University of Chicago" noting "Warner-Reynolds Fund" in the memo line, and mailed to The University of Chicago, 5235 S. Harper Court, GABD 4th Floor, Chicago, IL 60615.