Louise Gardner
Louise Gardner died peacefully at her home at Stockton Springs on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2011. The daughter of Robert P. Gardner and Ruth Stevens Gardner, she was born Dec. 1, 1949 in Boston. She resided in Hingham, Mass. until 1952, when the family moved to Rowley, Mass., where her early school years were spent.Louise had a passion for learning and her path to nursing, a career she loved and excelled in, was prepared for by earning a Bachelor of Arts in sociology/psychology from Bates College in 1970, an associate degree as a physical therapy assistant in 1973, associate and Bachelor of Science degrees in nursing from the Regent's Program at the State University of New York.
She began her career as a registered nurse at Waldo County Hospital in 1983, becoming the nurse manager of the Intensive Care Unit in 1985, a position she held until her illness prevented her from continuing. In addition to providing direct care to patients in the ICU, she participated in nursing and patient/family education, an activity she found very rewarding.