Florence K. Job

Portsmouth, RI - Florence K. Job, 88, of 67 Lambie Circle, Portsmouth, RI, died Sunday, April 25, 2010 at Grand Islander Health Care Center, Middletown, RI. Born in Schenectady, NY, on March 31, 1922, she was the daughter of the late William J. and Nellie Kietlinski Job.Florence attended Mt. Pleasant High School. She studied Nursing at Mt. Sinai Hospital School of Nursing and obtained a B.S. in Nursing from the Catholic University of America and a MA from San Diego State College. She also attended the College of St. Rose, Sienna College, the University of California at Los Angeles and the University of Southern California.A 30 year veteran of the US Navy Nurse Corps, she retired in July 1974. During her years of active duty she had many duty stations and was Chief of Nursing Services at Guatanamo Bay, Cuba, the Naval Hospital at Charleston, South Carolina, the Hospital Ship USS Repose in Vietnam. And active educator, she had many assignments in teaching positions and retired as Chief, Nursing Education Division of the Hospital Corps School, Great Lakes, Illinois. She was the recipient of many military awards including numerous Letters of Commendation plus three Navy Commendation Medals, the Medal of Honor, and First Class from the Republic of Vietnam. She was entitled to wear the National Defense Service Medal. Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross unit citation, the American Campaign Medal WW II Victory Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal and the RVN Meritorious Unit Citation. After retiring from the Navy, she was the Patient Care Coordinator at Newport Hospital and for many years, a knitter for the newborns at the hospital.An active member of the Nursing Profession, she was President of the Catholic Nursing Association in Schenectady, NY, president of the 16th District Illinois Nursing Association and a founding member of the North East Navy Nurse Corps Association. She was its first President. She was also a board member of the National Navy Nurse Corps association, a charter member of Womens Military Service for America Memorial Foundation. She was treasurer of Concerts on the Island for many years and was active in St. Anthonys parish, as a member of the St. Vincent De Paul Society. At the 2000 reunion of the Navy Nurse Corps Association in Charleston, SC she was presented the leadership award for her activities in the organization-primarily, as being the moving force in establishment of the New England Navy Nurse Corps Association and in establishing the Scholarship Committee which annually present scholarships for nursing majors. She is survived by her sister CDR, Lucy Job, US Navy Nurse Corps, Ret of Portsmouth, RI and other close relatives. Her funeral will be held on Friday, April 30, 2010, at 9:00 am from the Connors Funeral Home, 55 West Main Road, Portsmouth, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 am in St. Anthonys Church, 2836 East Main Road, Portsmouth.Burial will be on Wednesday, May 5, 2010, at 2:00pm in St. Adelberts Cemetery, Hamburg Street, Schenectady, NY.Calling hours will be held Thursday, April 29 from 3-6 pm in the Connors Funeral Home. Donations in her memory may be made Navy Nurse Corps Association, PO Box 5983, Virginia Beach, VA 23471 or the American Cancer Society of Rhode Island, 931 Jefferson Blvd., Suite 3004, Warwick, RI 02886.