SIMMONS – Elnor Jane, died Saturday, February 23 at Windber Hospice. She was 90 and a resident of the Vista Apartments at Laurel View Village, Daivdsville. A Johnstown native, Elnor was born September 23, 1928.
She was a 1946 graduate of Greater Johnstown High School, and a 1949 graduate of Conemaugh Valley Memorial Hospital School of Nursing. She was a Registered Nurse (RN). Following her training and board license, she worked at West Penn Hospital and then returned to Johnstown where she did private duty nursing at Conemaugh Memorial Hospital and in individuals’ homes.
In 1977, she became a Certified Occupational Health Nurse (COHN), and was one of the first Board Certified nurses in Occupational Health in Pennsylvania. She did Occupational Health nursing for Bethlehem Steel Corporation Medical Department, Johnstown for 22 years. She retired from Bethlehem Steel when the Medical Department closed and became part of the newly created joint employee/occupational health department at Conemaugh Medical Center.
In 1988, she graduated from Saint Joseph’s College, Standish, Maine, with a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Professional Arts with a concentration in Health Administration. She was a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Anna L. Windolf Chapter #495 (originally a member of Johnstown Chapter #183). For 25 years, she served on the Advisory Board of the International Order of the Rainbow for Girls, Johnstown Chapter #35.
She was an active member of Christ United Methodist Church in Moxham, where she taught Sunday School, sang in the Choir, was a soprano soloist, and a member of the Pairs and Spares Sunday School Class. She also was actively involved at Laurel View Village. Preceded in death by her twin Elroy Jr. who died February 17, 2015.
She also is preceded in death by her parents Elroy (Roy) Sr and Hazel M. (Shomo) Simmons, and her sister Zelda Jean. (Simmons) Otto; and brother-in-law G. Frederick Otto. Elnor is survived by her daughter Janice K of Pittsburgh (Canonsburg) and her niece Lorrie Otto Duffy (Michael Duffy) of Portage.
She also is survived by two grandnieces Kahlie L Miller of Johnstown and her children Lexia, Chase, Haiden, Cassandra; and Melanie M. Duffy (fiancé Tyler Engel) both of Tappahannock VA. Friends will be received from 6 to 7 p.m. on Friday, March 1 at John Henderson Co. Funeral Home, 215 Central Ave, Johnstown. Memorial Service will be held at Laurel View Village Chapel at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 23 with the Rev.
Jeffery Bassette officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Flight 93 Memorial/National Park Foundation, Team USA Olympics (both available as online memorial donations), or Christ United Methodist Church (200 Cypress Ave, Johnstown).
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