Timothy Ann McBride

TIMOTHY ANN "TIMMER" McBRIDE was born March 22, 1945, in Charleston, West Virginia. She was the second child and first daughter of Robert and Kathryn McBride. As the years progressed, Bob and Katy had eight children, four boys and four girls. Timmer was like a second mother, spending a lot of time helping to take care of the kids.
She attended Sacred Heart Grade School and Charleston Catholic High School, though spent two years, along with the rest of the family, living in Ravenna, Italy, while her Chemical Engineer father helped develop an industrial plant there. Timmer attended Marymount All Girls School in Rome while the family was in Italy. Timmer went to the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio, and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing.
Her first job was on an oncology unit at the Cleveland Clinic. From there, she went to work for the Visiting Nurse Association of San Francisco. Timmer worked in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco during its heyday from 1969 to 1971.
She then returned to Charleston, West Virginia, and worked as an area nursing supervisor for the Department of Health for seven counties in Central West Virginia. These were some of the poorest counties in the country. She was also a Director of Nursing of the Bureau of Tuberculosis Control. Timmer was the first recipient of the West Virginia Public Health Trust Fund Scholarship. She went to the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received her Master of Public Health in Nursing. She also earned a certificate as a Family Nurse Practitioner from the School of Medicine at UNC-Chapel Hill.
Timmer was a pioneer in nurse practicing in the coal fields of West Virginia. She was the first nurse practitioner to establish her own practice with two family practitioners south of Beckley, West Virginia. She also volunteered at the Cabin Creek Clinic near Charleston, West Virginia.
Timmer returned to North Carolina and became a national leader in the Occupational Health Nurse Practitioner movement. She established the first Occupational Health Nurse Practitioner program in the country, graduating 26 nurses in three years at UNC-Greensboro.
Timmer then returned to the Durham area working on the oncology unit at the Veterans Hospital. While in Durham, she helped co-found the Health Project which provided assistance to people with AIDS. At its peak, the Health Project had over 100 volunteers. Additionally, she volunteered with Meals on Wheels, the Food Bank and the Alzheimer's Group.
After retiring from work, Timmer spent her later years in Sarasota, Florida, with her family.
Timmer passed away August 30, 2024, in Sarasota, Florida.
Timmer was preceded in death by her parents, Robert and Kathryn, and siblings, Susannah M. Carey, Patrick W. McBride and Thomas A. McBride. She is survived by her loving siblings, Dr. Michael B. (Arlene) McBride, Dr. Robert B. (Catherine) McBride, Jr., Dr. Ann K McBride, Mary K. McBride, along with many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Her family would especially like to extend their sincerest appreciation to the Brookdale Deer Creek Sarasota for their tender loving care of Timmer in her later years.
In lieu of flowers, the family request donations to Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 5, 2024, at Sacred Heart Cordis Center, 1114 Virginia Street East, Charleston, West Virginia, with Rev. Donald X. Higgs officiating. Interment of Timmer's ashes will immediately follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery, Charleston, West Virginia.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.barlowbonsall.com.
Barlow Bonsall Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements.