Grayce
Grayce Sills
d. April 3, 2016
Grayce McVeigh Sills, born April 18, 1926, in Bremen, Ohio, died April 3, 2016 at Kobacker House Hospice surrounded by family and friends.
Proceeded in death by her parents, Joseph and Edythe McVeigh (nee Smith); beloved partner Sharon Huesman; her sister Mabel McVeigh Arnold; her brother Emil Clifton McVeigh; her brother James Lester McVeigh and her nephew Michael Arnold.
Joyfully remembered by her daughter Kathleen Sills of Concord, MA; grandchildren Talia and Sage Hahn of Concord, MA; nephews and nieces, Walter Arnold Jr. (Sue) of St. Petersburg, Florida; Judy Arnold of Indianapolis, IN; Mark Arnold Sr. (Carol) of Pickerington, Ohio; Timothy Arnold of Baltimore, OH; Ruth Ann McVeigh Corder (Robert) of Cary, NC; James McVeigh (Imozelle) of Chula Vista, CA; special cousins, William Hilyard and Gina Vernaci of Lakewood, OH; Evelyn Fueger (Max) of Fairborn, OH; Charlene Norris of Victoria TX; dear friend Beth Basil of Columbus, Ohio; and numerous other grandnieces, grandnephews, cousins, friends and colleagues.
Grayce grew up in Bremen, Ohio and graduated from Rushcreek Memorial High School in 1944. She attended Ohio University for two years but a summer program at Rockland State Mental Hospital School of Nursing in New York resulted in her deciding to become a nurse. She graduated from Rockland State Hospital School of Nursing (1950) and attended Teachers College, Columbia University (1950-51).
Sills accepted a position at Dayton State Hospital (1955). In 1956 she obtained her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton.
In 1964, Sills received a Master’s in Sociology from The Ohio State University. In this same year she also began her teaching career in the School, later College, of Nursing. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from Ohio State in 1968.
During her tenure at the nursing faculty, Grayce developed the graduate level clinical nurse specialist program in psychiatric mental health nursing; helped develop the Ph.D. program in nursing; was Director of the Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Program; Chair of the Department of Family and Community Nursing; Director of Graduate Studies; and, Acting Dean. She also helped the School of Nursing achieve independent status as a College within the University. She remained at the OSU College of Nursing until retiring as Professor Emeritus in 1993.
Sills has been an international consultant for community-based mental health nursing, as well as a visiting professor at Case Western Reserve University, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, the University of New Mexico School of Nursing, Rutgers Graduate School of Nursing, Oregon Health Sciences University, Indiana University School of Nursing, and Fairfield University School of Nursing. She was a Founding member and president of the American Psychiatric Nursing Association, president of the American Nurses Foundation, a founding member of the American Nurses Association Commission on Human Rights, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, recognized as an Academy Living Legend in 1999. She chaired the Study Committee on Mental Health Services for Ohio, and, in 1986, was chosen as a Woman of Achievement by the Columbus YWCA.
A past chair (1991-2003) of the OSU Hospitals Board of Trustees, she was instrumental in gaining board support for Magnet® hospital status, achieved in 2005. She had the rare distinction of receiving three awards from OSU: a Distinguished Teaching Award, a Distinguished Service Award and an honorary doctorate in public service (2005), as well as honorary doctorates from Indiana University and Fairfield University in Connecticut. Sills also was the recipient of the American Nurses Association Hildegard Peplau Award in 2000.
Sills has been a pioneer in psychiatric mental health nursing nationally and globally, providing consultation to colleagues in Italy, Japan, and South Korea. She was a champion for improving care for the chronically mentally ill and has taught and mentored thousands of students in nursing. Early in her academic career she was responsible for developing the psychiatric mental health nursing role in community mental health in Columbus Ohio and provided leadership to a number of local community organizations, particularly those focused on mental health care services. She is the author of more than 60 articles in scholarly journals and has recorded 15 educational videotapes focused on leadership and psychiatric mental health nursing, produced by the American Journal of Nursing Company.
She also has been a pioneer in interdisciplinary collaboration among health care professionals. In the early 1970s she spearheaded an interdisciplinary learning and practice initiative. Her commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration has led to the recent projects of Bridges, funded by the Columbus Medical Association, and the OSU STAR (Stress, Trauma, and Resilience) Program, focused on providing clinical care for healthcare professionals, patients and families affected by trauma. In 2013 her book, co-edited with Yeager, Culter, and Svendesen, Modern Community Mental Health: An Interdisciplinary Approach was published by Oxford University Press.
In addition to her vibrant professional pursuits, she enjoyed gardening, tending to her bumper crop of tomatoes, OSU athletics, golf, mastering the slots and traveling widely (especially to the Southwest and the Outer Banks). Picking black raspberries was a joy that took her back to her childhood. She was a philanthropist who lived her life paying forward and she inspired others to do the same.
Grayce’s spirit will live on through her students, colleagues, friends and family. She was affectionately referred to as “Amazing Grayce” by everyone who knew her. She touched our lives and spirits and we are forever indebted to her, for her passion and love of all of us.
A celebration of her life service will be held on June 4, 2016, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Fawcett Center on the OSU campus.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the one of the following:
The Grayce M. Sills Professorship (#606617): established to support a professorship in behavioral health nursing at the College of Nursing.
The Grayce M. Sills Archive Endowment Fund (#646610): established to support improvements and special events for the Grayce Sills records located at the OSU Medical Heritage Center.
Proceeded in death by her parents, Joseph and Edythe McVeigh (nee Smith); beloved partner Sharon Huesman; her sister Mabel McVeigh Arnold; her brother Emil Clifton McVeigh; her brother James Lester McVeigh and her nephew Michael Arnold.
Joyfully remembered by her daughter Kathleen Sills of Concord, MA; grandchildren Talia and Sage Hahn of Concord, MA; nephews and nieces, Walter Arnold Jr. (Sue) of St. Petersburg, Florida; Judy Arnold of Indianapolis, IN; Mark Arnold Sr. (Carol) of Pickerington, Ohio; Timothy Arnold of Baltimore, OH; Ruth Ann McVeigh Corder (Robert) of Cary, NC; James McVeigh (Imozelle) of Chula Vista, CA; special cousins, William Hilyard and Gina Vernaci of Lakewood, OH; Evelyn Fueger (Max) of Fairborn, OH; Charlene Norris of Victoria TX; dear friend Beth Basil of Columbus, Ohio; and numerous other grandnieces, grandnephews, cousins, friends and colleagues.
Grayce grew up in Bremen, Ohio and graduated from Rushcreek Memorial High School in 1944. She attended Ohio University for two years but a summer program at Rockland State Mental Hospital School of Nursing in New York resulted in her deciding to become a nurse. She graduated from Rockland State Hospital School of Nursing (1950) and attended Teachers College, Columbia University (1950-51).
Sills accepted a position at Dayton State Hospital (1955). In 1956 she obtained her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Dayton.
In 1964, Sills received a Master’s in Sociology from The Ohio State University. In this same year she also began her teaching career in the School, later College, of Nursing. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology from Ohio State in 1968.
During her tenure at the nursing faculty, Grayce developed the graduate level clinical nurse specialist program in psychiatric mental health nursing; helped develop the Ph.D. program in nursing; was Director of the Advanced Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Program; Chair of the Department of Family and Community Nursing; Director of Graduate Studies; and, Acting Dean. She also helped the School of Nursing achieve independent status as a College within the University. She remained at the OSU College of Nursing until retiring as Professor Emeritus in 1993.
Sills has been an international consultant for community-based mental health nursing, as well as a visiting professor at Case Western Reserve University, Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing, the University of New Mexico School of Nursing, Rutgers Graduate School of Nursing, Oregon Health Sciences University, Indiana University School of Nursing, and Fairfield University School of Nursing. She was a Founding member and president of the American Psychiatric Nursing Association, president of the American Nurses Foundation, a founding member of the American Nurses Association Commission on Human Rights, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing, recognized as an Academy Living Legend in 1999. She chaired the Study Committee on Mental Health Services for Ohio, and, in 1986, was chosen as a Woman of Achievement by the Columbus YWCA.
A past chair (1991-2003) of the OSU Hospitals Board of Trustees, she was instrumental in gaining board support for Magnet® hospital status, achieved in 2005. She had the rare distinction of receiving three awards from OSU: a Distinguished Teaching Award, a Distinguished Service Award and an honorary doctorate in public service (2005), as well as honorary doctorates from Indiana University and Fairfield University in Connecticut. Sills also was the recipient of the American Nurses Association Hildegard Peplau Award in 2000.
Sills has been a pioneer in psychiatric mental health nursing nationally and globally, providing consultation to colleagues in Italy, Japan, and South Korea. She was a champion for improving care for the chronically mentally ill and has taught and mentored thousands of students in nursing. Early in her academic career she was responsible for developing the psychiatric mental health nursing role in community mental health in Columbus Ohio and provided leadership to a number of local community organizations, particularly those focused on mental health care services. She is the author of more than 60 articles in scholarly journals and has recorded 15 educational videotapes focused on leadership and psychiatric mental health nursing, produced by the American Journal of Nursing Company.
She also has been a pioneer in interdisciplinary collaboration among health care professionals. In the early 1970s she spearheaded an interdisciplinary learning and practice initiative. Her commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration has led to the recent projects of Bridges, funded by the Columbus Medical Association, and the OSU STAR (Stress, Trauma, and Resilience) Program, focused on providing clinical care for healthcare professionals, patients and families affected by trauma. In 2013 her book, co-edited with Yeager, Culter, and Svendesen, Modern Community Mental Health: An Interdisciplinary Approach was published by Oxford University Press.
In addition to her vibrant professional pursuits, she enjoyed gardening, tending to her bumper crop of tomatoes, OSU athletics, golf, mastering the slots and traveling widely (especially to the Southwest and the Outer Banks). Picking black raspberries was a joy that took her back to her childhood. She was a philanthropist who lived her life paying forward and she inspired others to do the same.
Grayce’s spirit will live on through her students, colleagues, friends and family. She was affectionately referred to as “Amazing Grayce” by everyone who knew her. She touched our lives and spirits and we are forever indebted to her, for her passion and love of all of us.
A celebration of her life service will be held on June 4, 2016, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Fawcett Center on the OSU campus.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the one of the following:
The Grayce M. Sills Professorship (#606617): established to support a professorship in behavioral health nursing at the College of Nursing.
The Grayce M. Sills Archive Endowment Fund (#646610): established to support improvements and special events for the Grayce Sills records located at the OSU Medical Heritage Center.
To send flowers to the family in memory of Grayce Sills, please visit our flower store.
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