Jeanne Walvoord’s legacy celebrated at Changhua Christian Hospital

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

3123 Edition

January 2-8, 2012

Headline News

Jeanne Walvoord’s legacy celebrated at Changhua Christian Hospital

Reported by Chen Wei-chien

Written by Lydia Ma

A important figure in the history of nursing in Taiwan passed away recently. 
Miss Jeane Walvoord went to be with the Lord on December 4, 2011, at the age of 
102. She was a missionary in Taiwan for 21 years and had served as the Director 
of the Department of Nursing at both Changhua Christian Hospital (CCH) and 
Mackay Memorial Hospital (MMH), playing an instrumental role in training this 
generation’s nursing professionals.

CCH held a memorial service in her honor on December 29, 2011. At this service, 
CCH Superintendent Kuo Shou-jen delivered an eulogy to Walvoord and 3 of 
Walvoord’s pupils, who are now retired, also spoke of their fond memories of 
her. The service was attended by more than 300 people who came from different 
parts of Taiwan, many of whom were Walfoord’s students many years ago.

Kuo underscored that both Jeane Walvoord and David Landsborough, Jr. were the 
architects of Taiwan’s nursing education system. Walvoord played a crucial role 
in the institutionalization of the nursing profession in Taiwan. CCH’s 
outstanding appraisals for medical care today are in part thanks to solid 
foundations set by Walvoord years ago.

Jeane Walvoord, an American, was born on June 9, 1909 in Japan as her father 
was a missionary there at the time. She lost her father at the young age of 14 
and vowed to follow in his footsteps and become a missionary.

In 1954, Walvoord came to Taiwan at the invitation of Dr. David Landsborough, 
Jr., CCH’s Superintendent at the time, to serve at CCH. Having obtained degrees 
in nursing and public health, she was instrumental in helping CCH build its 
Nursing School and Public Health Department. She later went on to serve as the 
director of the Nursing Department at Mackay Memorial Hospital in 1961.

Walvoord retired and returned to the United States in 1974 at the age of 65, 
but continued to volunteer at Christian organizations for many years until the 
age of 93. Two years ago, Taiwanese students studying in the US went to visit 
her and celebrate her 100th birthday with her. She passed away on December 4, 
2011 at the ripe old age of 102. 

 

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