ALION FOR LIFE | Alumnae Feature
Celebrating a SHM Grad’s Lifelong Committment to Service and Caring As a member of the Sacred Heart of Mary Class of 1966, the second graduating class of the school, Patricia Schell Miely has plenty of memories, as well as her class ring, yearbook, and booklet from the school’s dedication. What she doesn’t have is the jumper she wore every day, but she does recall kneeling in gym class to show that the jumper reached the floor to signify it was the appropriate length. One of seven siblings, Patti lived on the 800 block of North Beverly, just down the street from Saint Viator. Other than a one-year stint for a brother, she was the only one of her siblings to attend either of the schools. She sold copies of “The New World” to help pay for her tuition, which she recalls as having been around $250 per year. During her years at Sacred Heart of Mary, she was influenced by several of the nuns and lay faculty, as well as the friends she made along the way. Among the most influential to her was her advanced biology teacher who helped Patti learn about how the human body functions, leading to a long and successful career in nursing. “At the time, nursing and teaching were some of the popular options available to women. I always loved working with people, so it seemed like a good fit for me,” Patti said. She became a candy striper at Holy Family Hospital in Des Plaines and was working in the pathology lab before she was 16. The religious formation and focus on ethics at Sacred Heart of Mary influenced her career as a nurse, a case manager, a hospice nurse, and even now as the President of the Valley View Hospital Foundation in Colorado. “We are a community hospital. ‘People Care’ is one of our mottos, and I believe an independent, community hospital can provide more personal care.” It was her affinity for that type of care that led her to begin working in hospice. “In hospice, you become an advocate for that patient and their family; sometimes you become a part of the family.” She notes that doing this type of work comes from the heart and it is clear that some of that comes from the Sacred Heart of Mary experience.
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Patti often reads the weekly messages she receives from the Viatorian community, often connecting their message with her life-long commitment to service and caring. In addition to her years helping patients and families peacefully and comfortably accept end-of-life scenarios, fighting to keep a community hospital independent and strong, or taking phone calls from from family and friends—and their family and friends—when someone needs to ask for medical advice, Patti has also served on and chaired the Ethics Committee at the hospital. “It is important for students to be exposed to faith and ethics.” Family and acquaintances have shaped Patti’s life. “Everyone we meet has left a mark somewhere within us.” With the volunteer activities, she keeps busy, but also enjoys traveling, skiing, swimming, hiking, and so much more. While she has been happily transplanted to living in Colorado with her spouse of over 50 years, she does miss connections with those from her era at Sacred Heart of Mary. “We haven’t had a reunion in a long while and I would like to connect and hear where everyone is and about their lives.” She shared her email address (riece48@comcast.net) and encouraged classmates to reach out. And in addition to the artifacts she has kept from Sacred Heart of Mary, she also has a Saint Viator item—a varsity letter from her old boyfriend. “I gave him back the sweater but I still have one of the big white letter V’s.” So whether you are a current Saint Viator student interested in a career in nursing, a former classmate looking to connect, or an old beau with a blue sweater devoid of that varsity letter, a few minutes spent with Patti Schell Miely can be very enlightening. n
