Former Editor-in-Chief, Nurse Educator, 1981-2013
Former Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of Nursing Administration (1981 – 2011, then Consulting Editor)
On September 20, we learned of the unexpected death of our dear friend and colleague, Suzanne Smith. Please join us in remembering her, and share your own stories and memories by visiting our blog. You can also see her INANE web page here.
Suzanne started her editorial career in 1981, and immediately became a significant leader in INANE. There were very few conferences she did not attend, and she was either a formal or informal member of many planning committees. She had a wealth of knowledge about INANE, which sadly, we did not formally record.
At the time of her death, she was on the planning committee for the 2014 conference (Portland, Maine), and had just joined the planning committee for the 2015 conference (Las Vegas). She chaired the committee that conducted the selection of the recipients of the 2013 Margaret Comerford Freda Award for Editorial Leadership.
Suzanne is remembered by a host of people (editors, authors, students, and nurse managers) as a dedicated mentor. She did not wait for someone to ask for help – when she saw a need, she stepped in and provided her wise guidance, expert teaching, and extensive networking resources.
She is also remembered for her unbeatable level of energy. On her INANE “Who’s Who” page, in response to the question “How do you relax?” her answer was “I don’t!” We all knew that if something needed to be done, Suzanne was our “go-to” colleague. In the rare instances that she herself could not do what needed to be done, she could always identify just the right person to turn to from her immense network of friends and colleagues.
As a member of the 2014 conference planning committee, Suzanne participated in establishing a fund awarding conference registration grants to at least four new and potential nursing journal editors. In tribute to Suzanne, we have now named this award in her honor. If you wish to give a donation to this fund in her honor, please click here. Thank you in advance for your gift.
So many of us who have been involved in INANE are deeply saddened by this loss. We can hardly imagine INANE without Suzanne. We will continue to update this page, and will provide links to other sites that provide tributes to her amazing life as we learn of them.
Peggy L. Chinn
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