Nancy Rowe, Valley View’s first director of nursing

On January 28, Nancy Rowe went home to be with the Lord. “Heaven for Christians is best spelled H.O.M.E.,” her obituary reads. She was 85. In addition to being a beloved friend and cousin, Nancy holds a special place in our hearts as Valley View’s first Director of Nursing.

The early years
Nancy’s friendship with her best friend Pat Coffey started when they were teenagers at Strodes Mills Baptist Church and spanned the next seven decades.

“Maybe other people have friendships as long as we did,” Pat said. “Something just clicked. She got used to me, because she was so serious, and I was always kidding around.”

Nancy graduated from Lewistown High School in 1957 and completed her degree at the Lewistown Hospital School of Nursing in 1960. Her first job was at the hospital, followed by a position with community nursing service.

Starting at Valley View:“A very good fit”
It was around that time that she met Linny Peachey, a registered nurse from Big Valley, and the two enjoyed working together. Linny knew about the construction of Valley View Haven and recommended Nancy for the Director of Nursing position. In December of 1967, prior to completion of the nursing home, Nancy accepted the position. She went to Menno Haven in Chambersburg to job shadow in preparation for establishing the nursing department at Valley View.

“It was a very good fit,” Pat said. “Her values and Valley View’s values were so compatible. She was a Christian and she always wanted to do things right – and wanted everyone else to do things right, too.”

Nancy was single and living at home and she devoted tireless hours to establishing policies and procedures, assisting with purchases, and hiring and training staff. On January 19, 1968, the first four residents were received for the 50 skilled nursing beds and 12 residential-bed facility. Within a year, the beds were filled.

“My goal was to fill up the nursing home for the benefit of the patients that needed our services and for the benefit of the operation. The administration and board did not pressure me to meet this goal; it was my own pressure,” she said in an interview in 2014.

During her 19 years at Valley View, Nancy made many adjustments and improvements to the nursing department as part of the daily learning experiences. She later returned to Lewistown Hospital and retired in 1991 with a total of 31 years in nursing.

Nancy served at Valley View for 19 years.

Retired life
Pat Coffey says that Nancy’s retirement years were full. They entertained Pat’s nieces and nephews, who always wanted to go to “Aunt Nancy’s house” where they got snacks, sang around the piano, and played pool. They took a road trip to Oklahoma with Pat’s mother, who Pat says, “had never been out of Mifflin County,” and made memories taking family and friends camping and canoeing.

In 2010, the friends decided to move into the cottages at Malta Home, and when Malta Home merged with Valley View in 2015, Nancy Rowe came back to where her career began.

“Our cottages were side by side at Malta, but we didn’t think there was any way that adjoining cottages would be open at the same time in The Village, and we accepted that,” Pat remembers. “But then the Director of Residential Living called us and said, ‘You aren’t going to believe this, but we have two cottages opening up that are back-to-back.’”

“I could walk out my back door and be in her back yard,” she said. “So, the Lord worked that out.”

After five years in The Village, both Pat and Nancy moved to The Terrace. This past winter, Nancy’s health declined, and she spent a few weeks in The Haven before she passed away. Pat was there to say goodbye.

“I said, ‘Thanks for being the closest friend I ever had.’”

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