GREENFIELD — A woman many considered to be the “matriarch of nursing” at Hancock Regional Hospital has died.
Longtime nurse Dorothy Gunn radiated kindness and compassion throughout her 91 years on this earth, according to those who knew her.
The Greenfield woman, who died Jan. 20, was as passionate about patient care as she was about the family farm she ran with her husband, Jim, the love of her life.
Her radiant smile was a longtime fixture at Hancock Regional Hospital, where she worked for 43 years — from 1962 to 2005.
“She was always a glowing light of what nursing is all about,” said Craig Felty, vice president of patient care and chief nursing officer at Hancock Regional Hospital.
“Dorothy was a prized associate and volunteer who gave of herself until the day she passed. She will forever be the matriarch of Hancock nursing, and we will miss her dearly,” he said.
Even in retirement, Gunn continued to make a difference for patients in her work with the Hancock Health Foundation, serving on several committees and special projects.
She was one of the founding members of the foundation’s Women Helping Women program — which raises funds to support breast cancer awareness and detection for under-insured and uninsured women — and worked hard each year on the annual celebration event.
“Even when she could no longer leave her house, her friends would bring projects for her to work on for Women Helping Women — arranging baskets for the silent auction, putting together decorations; whatever she could do, she would,” said Allyson Smith, manager of the Hancock Health Foundation.
“It’s hard to put into words how much Dorothy meant to us,” Smith said. “She was like a grandmother to me. This hospital had a special place in her heart, and she gave back in every way she could.”
Tammy Strunk, Hancock Regional’s assistant vice president of quality/risk/regulatory, said she had the privilege of working alongside Gunn at the hospital.
“Dorothy loved people, and was a compassionate and caring person and nurse. She genuinely cared about the well-being of her patients, the families, her co-workers and physicians. Everyone was important to her,” Strunk said.
“Many nights she stayed here when the weather was bad so she was sure to be here for her shift the following day. If anyone was needed to come in early or stay late, Dorothy was always the one.”
Gunn was especially knowledgeable in post-operative patient care.
“She knew what to watch for, what was needed, and when to be concerned. It was comforting to know she was caring for you when you woke up after a procedure,” Strunk said.
The highly regarded nurse received a number of awards over the years, including a Rotary Club Vocational Service Award, Hancock County Medical Society Award for Excellence in Nursing, and Honorable Mention for Nurse of the Year in 2003.
Hancock Regional honors Gunn each year on Nurses Day, when the physicians bestow an award that recognizes the traits she possessed as a nurse: compassion, generosity, patient advocacy and peer education.
“I often told Dorothy that she was the mother of nursing at Hancock,” Strunk said. “When I spoke to her a few days before her passing, I told her that her legacy lives on in the nurses and staff of Hancock Regional Hospital. We all strive to be like Dorothy in our daily work.”
Even as a patient at the hospital, Gunn made sure to express her appreciation to those caring for her.
“As a retired nurse, she had a sincere appreciation for the medical staff here,” said Smith. “Every time she was in the hospital, she made a point to share praise for her doctors and nurses and the wonderful care she’d received.”
Longtime friend Cindy Gray, of New Palestine, got to know Gunn through their time working together at the hospital, and through their membership at New Palestine United Methodist Church, which Gunn joined in 1952.
“She was a dear friend, such a wonderful nurse, and so compassionate with everything,” said Gray, whose friendship with Gunn spanned four decades.
“One of the things that impressed me most about her was that she was so compassionate. It didn’t matter who the person was she was taking care of, they were all important to her,” she recalled.
But her family was always the apple of her eye. For birthdays and holidays, Gunn would buy her great-grandchildren books so they could learn the joy of reading with their parents.
“She thought nurturing through reading was so important, and I thought that was such a sweet and thoughtful thing to do,” Gray said.
Gunn was a sweet and generous soul to the end, Gray said, never losing the passion she had for nursing, for her family, and for her beloved family farm.
“She never give up. She worked hard at her rehab trying to get to where she could go back to the farm where she belonged,” Gray recalled.
While Gunn will be sorely missed, her friends say she will never be forgotten.
“We were so blessed to have Dorothy as a friend and supporter of the foundation. She had the most loving and generous spirit, and she will be deeply missed,” Smith said.
Added Strunk: “We know she lives on through the values of this organization and in the role model she was for nursing.”
