Melba Jean Steele

1940 - 2024

Melba Jean Steele

October 27, 1940 - May 18, 2024

Fort Worth, Texas - Jean Steele, 83, passed away on Saturday, May 18, 2024, after a fierce battle with pancreatic cancer.

Celebration of Life: 1 p.m. Saturday, June 22, 2024, at United Methodist Church. 100 S. Old Indian Trail, Tool, Texas 75143.

Born in Texarkana, Arkansas, but grew up up in Fort Worth, Texas. Jean was the eldest of six children, and helped care for siblings from an early age, a habit that defined her character and later became a professional calling.

While still in her teens, Jean went through LVN training at St. Joseph's Hospital, where she was treated very kindly by the nuns in charge -- she used to tell the story of one of her teachers always trying to feed her because she looked undernourished – and the experience cemented her desire to go into nursing. While at St. Joseph she came under the spell of John B. Patterson, M.D., a gifted pioneer of plastic surgery in Texas, who nurtured her native talent and inspired her choice of career.

As a young wife and mother with a full-time job, Jean enrolled in the nursing program at UT Arlington and received her RN four years later. Degree in hand, Jean was soon recruited as a scrub nurse by Fritz Barton, M.D., himself a former pupil of Dr. Patterson's and future star of plastic surgery in Dallas, a job she enjoyed for more than 25 years.

Through her boss's academic appointments and private practice duties, Jean came in contact with multiple residents in training – to whom she was unofficial mentor and go-to well of surgical knowledge – as well as many visiting luminaries. A superb surgical nurse, Jean anticipated every move in the OR and was there at the ready with whatever was needed; she could suture with the best of them and better than most; and was a trusted source of advice in case of delicate decision-making. Whether newbie or experienced, all who watched were impressed by her skills and benefited from her presence in the operating room.

Job done, gloves off, surgeon goes home – but Jean's magic with patient care is just beginning. Hers was the first face patients saw when they woke from the anesthesia, the one who held their hand and explained what to expect, the canary-in-the-mine for any potential complication, the dressing changer, reliable source of pain relief, their tower of strength, their friend. Patients adored her.

She was preceded in death by husband, John; two sons; parents; and her brother and sister.

Survivors: Brother, Steve Burt (Cynthia); sisters, Adrina Callahan and Diane Stephenson; and her beloved Newfoundland dog, Andie.