Patricia Flannery Pearce

Patricia Flannery Pearce died on Friday, June 16, 2023, at the age of 70 related to complications of long-standing breast cancer. She was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, moving to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1976 to begin her nursing career at Touro Infirmary. Her first marriage to Glenn H. Midtbo was blessed with her beloved daughter, Leslie Midtbo Culver. Her second marriage to Charles W. Pearce, MD, was blessed with stepchildren Charles, Jr., Andrew, Margaret and John Pearce. In New Orleans, she was a consummate hostess, orchestrating elegant and fun events ranging from small and intimate to large, boisterous gatherings. She and her husband entertained in their home as well as in local venues. They were both generous and caring in their social life. She was active as chair of the Overture to the Cultural Season, participated in the Junior Opera Guild as well as other philanthropic endeavors including the ballet. She invested much time and energy in her daughter's school and activities as well. Trisha was active in and passionate about nursing throughout her career which spanned almost 50 years. She completed her Associate Degree in Nursing at St. Mary's College (Minneapolis, MN), Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Arts in History at Loyola University (New Orleans, LA), Master of Science in Nursing (Family Nurse Practitioner) at Mississippi University for Women (Columbus, MS), Master of Public Health at Tulane School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine (New Orleans, LA), and PhD in Nursing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She worked as a registered nurse from 1976 to 1995, then as a Family Nurse Practitioner, adding her role as nursing faculty. She worked at LSU Health Sciences Center as a nurse practitioner and as faculty in the School of Nursing, as well as at Tulane University Medical School in the Surgical Microbiology Research Laboratory. She served in nursing faculty roles at the University of Utah (Salt Lake City), University of Alabama (Birmingham), Loyola University (New Orleans), and Interim Dean at Loyola University (New Orleans) College of Graduate and Professional Studies, transitioning it to the College of Nursing and Health. Upon retirement from Loyola University as Interim Dean and tenured Professor, she completed several Interim Dean appointments through The Registry at Clarke University (Dubuque, IA), University of San Francisco, and the University of Texas (Permian Basin). Her professional activities included heavy investment in the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), the American Nurses Foundation (ANF), and Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing. She is widely published and has significant presentation history, presenting locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. She was well-respected by her peers and had long-standing relationships with former students, mentees, and other professionals. She served for years on two editorial boards: Qualitative Health Research and the Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners for which she served as column editor. She is an award-winning scholar and nurse practitioner - her professional honors and accolades are too numerous to count. She is preceded in death by her husband, Charles W. Pearce, MD, parents Lester James Flannery and Mary Catherine Mahoney Flannery, as well as stepchildren Charles, Jr. and Andrew Pearce. She is survived by her daughter Leslie and husband Justin, grandchildren Ella Jane and Meritt Arthur Culver, stepchildren Margaret and John Pearce, as well as stepgrandchildren Andy Pearce Myer and Roger Pearce. Additionally, she is survived by cherished siblings, their spouses, as well as numerous nieces and nephews, including: Siblings: Michael Flannery (Mary Jo Nahorniak), Kathryn Claire (Casey) Flannery, Judith Donovan (Dan), Elizabeth Shaffar (Nick), Brigid Dodson (Brian), and James Flannery. Nieces and nephews: Kathryn Woehl (Derek), Jennifer Monn (Peter), Megan Ulloa (Marco), Shannon Stuhltrager (Paul), Steven Dodson, Matthew Dodson, Molly Flannery and Sophie Flannery; and a host of cousins across the country. She has touched many in her personal and professional life who will miss her tremendously. A celebration of her life will be a private, family affair, date to be determined. Any donations should be made to the charity of donor's choice, or to a school of nursing of the donor's choice.