Nancy Eleanor DeVore

Nancy Eleanor DeVore, CNM, MS, MSN

Nancy Eleanor DeVore passed away at age 82 on July 8, 2024 in the Broadview Senior Living Center in Purchase, NY. Nancy was born in Montclair, NJ on June 25, 1942 to Lois and Henry DeVore. She lived with her family in Newark, NJ, Norwalk, CT, and Grovers Mills, NJ before the family settled in Belle Mead, NJ in 1948. Nancy attended the Harlingen school, in Harlingen, NJ for her grade school education. In 1956 she went to Princeton High School, in Princeton, NJ, from which she graduated as the salutatorian of her class in 1960.

Nancy attended the University of Vermont (UVM) in Burlington, VT, majoring in nursing and minoring in mathematics from 1960 to 1964, when she graduated with honors and received a BSN degree. From 1964 to 1966, Nancy attended Washington University in St. Louis, where she was awarded an MSN degree in psychiatric nursing. In 1966 she returned to UVM as an Instructor in psychiatric nursing. In 1968, Nancy left UVM and practiced psychiatric nursing for 1 year in Lausanne, Switzerland. She returned to the US in 1970 and worked for 2 years as a Clinical Specialist in psychiatric nursing at the NY Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in Westchester, NY. From 1972 to 1974, Nancy was an Assistant Professor in psychiatric nursing at the City College School of Nursing, NYC.

In 1974, Nancy left psychiatric nursing and became a staff nurse in the Obstetrical Unit at the Hospital of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NYC, and from 1975 through 1976, she attended Columbia University, graduating with an MS degree in Maternity Nursing- Nurse Midwifery. From 1979 to 1984, Nancy was an Instructor in Clinical Nursing at Columbia University, supervising nurse-midwifery graduate students, and in 1984, she was promoted to an Associate in Clinical Nursing at Columbia, in which capacity she served until 1998. Also, from 1984 to 1989, Nancy was an Associate in OB/GYN at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, promoted to a Principal Associate in 1989 and to an Assistant Professor in 1996. From 1976 to 1981, Nancy was a Certified Nurse-Midwife in a full-service private nurse-midwifery practice at the Hospital of the Einstein College of Medicine. From 1981 till retirement, Nancy served as the Director of Midwifery Practice, at the Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and from 1984 the 1986 she helped establish and became the Co-Director of the Women's Health Center at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, at which teams of Nurse-Midwives and Obstetrician-Gynecologists provided obstetric and gynecologic care to lower income women. During this period, she also was the Coordinator for the Women's Health Partnership at the Jacobi Medical Center /University Hospitals of Tirana, Albania. In 1999, Nancy served as the Coordinator for Obstetrical Rotation in the Family Medicine Residency Program. In 2000, Nancy became Administrator, HIP Affiliation at Montefiore, and from 1997 till retirement in 2015, Nancy was the Director of the Ambulatory Women's Health Service at the Montefiore Medical Center.

Nancy was instrumental and successful in the lobbying effort in Albany that resulted in the separation of the professions of midwifery and nursing. She helped establish a Board of Midwifery under which midwives New York State are currently licensed.

Nancy was the recipient of several awards for her work in practice and as an educator in the nursing profession, including one from the NY Chapter of March of Dimes for her implementation of a "user-friendly" center for women's health care services. She was a member of Sigma Theta Tau, a national honorary nursing society, and over her career published many journal articles and made many presentations on aspects of psychiatric nursing and midwifery practice issues.

In 1992, Nancy married Albert A. Blank, a retired professor of mathematics at Carnegie Mellon University, who had returned to New York and CUNY system to pursue his research into developing tactile educational materials that made advanced mathematics available to the blind. Nancy and Albert resided in Pelham, NY, and were devoted dancers in the English Country Dance Society of Westchester, for which Nancy served as treasurer for many years. Nancy also served as a docent for over 15 years at the Bronx Zoo. Nancy and Albert had a loving and enduring marriage until Albert's death in 2020. Over their many years of marriage, they traveled extensively internationally, including many exotic journeys that included a hike to base camp on Mt. Everest, visits to Madagascar and Tasmania, African safaris, a trip up the Amazon by boat, a horseback trip across New Zealand, and a trip on the Orient Express from Beijing to Moscow.

Nancy is survived by her brother, Richard (Susan) DeVore of Stockton, NJ, two nephews, Justin (Maria) DeVore of Pittsburgh, PA, and Andrew (Julissa Materan) DeVore of East Millstone, NJ, a great niece, Carmella DeVore, and a great nephew, Luke DeVore, both of Pittsburgh, PA.

A Celebration of Life ceremony will be held from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. on August 10, 2024 at the Broadview Senior Living Center, 102 Broadview, Purchase, NY. Nancy's friends, colleagues, and fellow dancers are invited to attend and to bring with them memories of Nancy to share. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Bronx Zoo (www.bronxzoo.com/donate) or to the charity of your choice.