Page 15 - Florida Sentinel 7-10-20

Tampa Bay Area
Nursing Legend Who Impacted Lives In Bay Area Passes
ST. PETERSBURG - Born May 29, 1947, at Mercy Hospital in St. Peters- burg, Ms. Catherine Crumbs had a caring personality and a giving spirit that many will never forget. Ms. Crumbs was a highly qualified, consummate professional who pro- vided services as a Nurse Practitioner, Nurse Educator, and Clinical Nurse Specialist.
Ms. Crumbs worked within Bayfront Health System, St. Peters- burg, Pinellas County Health Depart- ment, and Bay Pines VA Healthcare System in Bay Pines, Florida.
Featuring over four decades of ex- perience in her field, she had a special expertise in gerontology and med- ical/surgical nursing. After earning her Licensed Practical Nurse certifi- cation in 1972, Ms. Crumbs went on to earn her associate degree in Nurs- ing in 1978 from St. Petersburg Jun- ior College. Driven to further her knowledge, she went on to obtain her Bachelor of Science Degree in Nurs-
MS. CATHERINE CRUMBS RNC, M.S.N., A.R.N.P.
ing in 1986, followed by her Master of Science Degree in Nursing with a Nurse Practitioner concentration in 1990 from the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida. She was a nurse faculty member from 1990 to 2013 at St. Petersburg College.
In 1977, Ms. Crumbs began tu- toring LPN/RN nursing students from Hillsborough and Pinellas County at the Pinellas County Urban League with her colleague, Betty Scott, under the leadership of former president and CEO, James O. Sim- mons. Ms. Crumbs was always a valuable asset to both the Urban League and the entire community. She unselfishly gave of her time and talent by willingly giving back to the community for over 43 years. Addi- tionally, every year Ms. Crumbs and her nursing students would conduct health screenings to at-risk residents in St. Petersburg while participating in the Urban League’s Crime Preven- tion Run.
Ms. Crumbs endured many challenges in her nursing career, but it did not stop her from speaking out and standing up for her beliefs. Ms. Crumbs was instrumental in the for- mation of the Pathway Program at St. Petersburg College to increase minor- ity presence and gender equity in health care professions.
Ms. Crumbs was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and former President of the National Black Nurses Association, St. Peters- burg Chapter. She was listed in the Who’s Who Among America’s Teach- ers; Who’s Who in American Nursing and Who’s Who of Women Execu- tives. She also served as a Professor Emeritus at St. Petersburg College.
Ms. Crumbs’ legacy will be re- membered through the many lives she has touched, the students she as- sisted in becoming successful nurses and the inspiration she provided in helping others further their educa- tion.
FRIDAY, JULY 10, 2020 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY PAGE 3-B