Memories of Mary Opal Wolanin: Geriatric Nurse, Mentor, Friend
Mary Opal Wolanin died May 22, 1997. She was to geriatric nursing as Florence Nightingale was to orga- nized nursing, and, indeed, Mrs. Wolanin sometimes noted that in only two lifetimes, nursing has become what it is today. Florence Nightingale was born in 1820 and died in 1910; Mary Opal Wolanin was born in 1910 and died in 1997. She had thought she might complete her cycle in the year 2000, but that was not to be. Yet, she, like Florence, will remain with us always because of the strength and wisdom of their personalities.
Mrs. Wolanin not only advanced geriatric nursing in numerous ways but was the quintessential gerontion, hav- ing begun her career in geriatric nursing on retirement. She often said, "I made most of my major contributions after I was 70 years old." One of the most noteworthy of these was the first and, to date, only book dealing with confusion and the elderly. Confusion: Prevention and Care, coauthored with Linda Phillips and published by Mosby in 1981, has long been out of print, but it was the first to clearly and compassionately examine the whole concept of confusion in the elderly. Mrs. Wolanin's thoughts regarding the elderly and confusion continued to evolve and most recently had led her to formulate con- cepts of mental frailty as inversely related to the continu- ity of personhood.
We do not use Mary Opal's given name lightly; her in- herent dignity and self-respect did not welcome strangers or passing acquaintances on a first-name basis. She was proud of being Tiger's wife and "Mrs. Wolanin." Those who attempted to intrude into intimacy quickly were not welcomed. There is a story about a budding young geron- tologist who asked, "Would you mind discussing your sexuality with me?" Mrs. Wolanin quickly replied, "I most certainly would mind." When necessary, or to meet her purposes, Mrs. Wolanin could be very aloof but her compassion and understanding were instantaneous for
those who needed it. In my own experience, I saw her sit down beside an elderly man who was quite inebriated and reach the core of his sadness within a few minutes, never in any way letting his slurred speech impede her ability to relate to the troubled person. On the other hand, she was impatient with sloppiness and inefficiency. Cynthia Kelly, the founding editor of Geriatric Nursing, tells of traveling with Mary Opal to various conferences. Tiger always called at 11:00 pm each evening. When he did not call at 11, she would first call the registrar where she was staying and ask if Mary Opal Wolanin was regis- tered; receiving a negative answer she would, in her most intimidating voice, say, "Isn't that strange, t I 'm in room ___ in this hotel while we speak. What do you think my husband will think when he calls here and finds that his wife of 40 years is not where she said she would be?" Of course, the management would be very apologetic and, on at least one occasion, provided the room gratis, as well as dinner on the house.
Icons and personality cults arise from impressions carried forward by followers of outstanding individuals. This is not our intent nor would it be her desire, but some of Mary Opal's numerous friends, colleagues, and pro- tdgds have provided a few of their treasured recollections to share with others in the field of geriatric nursing.
Mary Opal Wolanin, faculty member, University of Arizona
Many things can be documented about Mary Opal Wolanin's life. In 1972 she retired from the University of Arizona College of Nursing and began in retirement what turned out to be the most important part of what had al- ready been a long and distinguished career. In retirement, Mary Opal took on the world full-time; she made speeches and established awards of excellence at nine university schools of nursing to stimulate research. She also wrote books, journal articles, and essays. Her mes- sage was clear and compelling: that, of all the health pro- fessions, nursing held the most important role of protecting and sustaining frail elders and that improving care to this vulnerable group hinged on excellence in nursing research, education, and practice. Mary Opal Wolanin believed in what she said and backed her words with action and resources.
If I had been a stranger watching from the outside, I would have been awed by her. Mary Opal and I, however, were not strangers. In 1976, she became my mentor. As the years passed, she became my model, my inspiration, and my friend. At times, she was as much of a mother to me as my own mother. Mary Opal and I shared many things. We wrote, traveled, and gave presentations to- gether. We talked and laughed a lot. She saw me through illnesses, personal upheaval, new jobs, setbacks, and my father's death. When I was in turmoil she was always there, steady and stable, always ready to listen to and an- chor me. She gave me advice and applauded my accom- plishments, but there was much more. She shared her life and her own accomplishments with me and pulled me into my career and my adult life by showing me the way
and providing resources when I needed them. She was al- ways there for me and for others who shared her life. She was devoted to her husband and committed to her work. She taught me more about generosity and compassion than any other person I 've ever known. To say she touched my life minimizes the incredible impact she made on me. Once I asked how I could repay her. She said, "Do it for someone else. Pass it on."
Mary Opal left many legacies--her work, her determi- nation, her generosity, and her love. Among her finest legacies, however, was her phi losophy--"Pass it on." I think if she would want to be remembered for anything, it would be that.
From Linda Phillips, PhD, RN, FAAN Professor and Research Coordinator
University of Arizona
There were so many things about Mary Opal Wolanin that I admired and respected: her fearless convictions and willingness to testify on behalf of a nursing home patient; her "gutsiness" (for example, at a meeting in Puerto Rico, when Alvin Goldfarb was in the audience, Mary Opal said, "I don' t like the Goldfarb MSQ so I made up my own"); her "smarts"; her dignity and "down to earth" communication ability; and her generosity, which I ' m sure went beyond what most of us saw. She met my sis- ter, Gen, in Puerto Rico, and Gen never forgot her.
Some memories that stand out: in the 1970s, at one of the first meetings of the Arizona Nurses Geriatric Nursing Council, Mary Opal practically pounded the table when I suggested we change the name to Gerontological versus Geriatric. She said, "Let 's call it
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what it is! !" We often laughed about that later. One day in Seattle, we were celebrating her birthday with a brunch in the hotel; we commented on the wonderful Washington apples, and Mary Opal told us about those Spitzenbergs. I ' ve never again been able to find them. We had numerous wonderful hour-long telephone visits when we cussed and discussed what was happening in gerontology and in nursing education. Most of all, I al- ways think about how she made each of us feel like a spe- cial, cherished friend, and, indeed, she had the capacity to make each of us special in some way. I will miss her.
From Bernita Steffl, RN, MSN Professor Emerita
Arizona State University at Tempe
To Mary Opal: The nursing world has lost one of its heroines, advo-
cates, leaders, and trailblazers. I have lost a dear friend, adopted mother, and mentor. I will miss our visits, which mapped out the future of gerontologic nursing through research, education, and practice, as well as your vision for addressing confusion as an illness that can be pre- vented. Our weekly conversations will be remembered fondly as I complete my dissertation, which will be ded- icated to you. You always gave me encouragement to suc- ceed. Your laughter at the inequities of life and advice that seeing joy in daily events is the key to survival will continue to sustain me.
Eighty-seven years ago, when you first came into this world, I am certain there was a plan in mind that you were to fulfill. "Well done, good and faithful servant" were words that I am certain you heard as you entered the pearly gates. Part of that plan was to empower others to continue your efforts. Your soft voice would empower me as I recall your words, "Virginia, you need to . . . . " while my vision would emerge as my eyes answered, "Yes, I will." My individual yes is a collective "yes" on behalf of all gerontologic nurses to carry on where you left off. There is much to be done to introduce the con-
cept of mental frailty and to promote education in geron- tologic nursing. Now, mind you, your spirit will have to assist us if we run into detours in the road.
Although my faith has made it easy to imagine that the heavens are indeed blessed since you arrived, it will be difficult to grieve your earthly loss. I miss you very much and am comforted by the fact that I often told you how much I loved you. Save me a place, because we will once again laugh and experience true joy together. In my final good-bye, friend, I am reminded of a favorite biblical verse: "This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it." You would want us to rejoice and that we must do, knowing that you have enriched all of our lives. I love you, Mary Opal. Always, Virginia.
From Virginia Burggraf RN, C, MSN Senior Program Analyst
Department of Practice, Economics and Policy American Nurses Association
To my dearest friend, Mary Opal, If there was ever any doubt, you now know you are an
angel and always were. You were the wind beneath my wings, for which I thank you. Rest peacefully knowing that Tiger and I will carry on as you wished. Doreen
Should anyone wish to make a donation in memory of our dear friend, Mary Opal would have wanted the fol- lowing, with which she was very actively involved before her hospitalization: Mary Opal Wolanin Endowment Fund for Nursing Research and Education, c/o Air Force Village II, 5100 John D. Ryan Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78245
From Doreen Hayes Friend, confidant, and helper
of Mary Opal Wolanin and her husband, Tiger
Editor's Note to Readers:
If you have an interesting or heartwarming brief anecdote about a geriatric nurse who made a significant contribution to the profession or to the quality of life of an aged person, we would be most interested in receiving these. We are especially interested in geriatric nurse pioneers and interactions you may have had with them that were significant to your own growth in the field. A maximum length of 1000 words would be acceptable.
