Barbara Thoman Curtis

1938 - 2015

Barbara Thoman Curtis, 77, passed away October 18, 2015 at her home in Ormond Beach surrounded by her children and extended family. Barbara was born October 17, 1938 in Chicago to John and Tasula Thoman. She was raised in Chicago and Independence, MO and later lived in a variety of places including Spokane, WA; Wheaton, IL; and Bethesda, MD. After attending Graceland College in Lamoni, IA and earning her RN at the Independence Sanitarium and Hospital School of Nursing, Barbara became not only a clinical nurse and nursing teacher, but also a nationally-recognized leader in nursing. Her tireless efforts as an advocate for nursing eventually led her to leadership roles in several state nursing associations and the American Nurses Association (ANA). While on the ANA Board, she founded N-CAP, which later became the ANA PAC, a bi-partisan political action committee dedicated to improving the US healthcare system. In 1991, the ANA established the Barbara Thoman Curtis Award to honor a nurse who has made significant contributions to nursing practice and health policy through legislative activity and Barbara was the first recipient. In 2014, Barbara was inducted into the ANA Hall of Fame and, in 2015, she was named to the Florida Nurses Association Hall of Fame. Barbara was also an active member of the Community of Christ Church and, for the last few years, served as co-pastor of the small congregation in Ormond Beach. Barbara was preceded in death by her parents and her brother-in-law, George Fisher. She is survived by her children and their partners, respectively: Douglas and Michaeline Curtis of Scarsdale, NY; Cheryl Curtis Fair and Chris Fair of Daytona Beach, FL; and Mirella Curtis Meyers and Dennis Meyers of Palm Coast, FL; and by her grandchildren Catherine, Elizabeth and William Curtis of Scarsdale, NY; Cassie Reyes of Port Orange, FL; and Brandon Fair, stationed in Fort Benning, GA; and her great grandchildren Austin and Madelyn Reyes. Barbara will also be dearly missed by her siblings Mark Thoman of Port Orchard, WA; and Lea Thoman Acord and Nikki Thoman Fisher, both of Racine, WI and by her special niece Kristen Acord Lalowski of Chicago, IL. A private memorial service will be held at Deerhaven Campground in Paisley, FL at 3:00 PM on November 1, 2015. An additional remembrance service is also being planned for early December in Chicago. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the Barbara Thoman Curtis Nursing Scholarship at HealthEd Connect, 1401 West Truman Road, Independence, MO 64050. (Those wishing to do so may donate online at www.HealthEdConnect.org, designating the Barbara Thoman Curtis scholarship as the gift purpose.)