Dr. Alice Jean Longman

October 15, 1929 - September 26, 2019

Alice Jean was a native New Yorker, from Baldwin, Long Island. At an early age it was apparent that she would excel in academia, especially the sciences. She attended St. Agnes High School in Rockville Center, NY, and went on to receive her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the College of Mount St. Vincent in New York in 1951. At that time, the baccalaureate degree in nursing was just coming into its own as a first professional degree, and Alice was one of its pioneers. She continued her education at New York University, where she received her MA in 1957. She was awarded degrees in both Masters of Education (1972) and a Doctor of Education (1974) with a focus on nursing education from Columbia University (NY) Teachers College, a leading institution for nursing education preparation at the doctoral level. During her time in New York, she also worked for the National League for Nursing as a liaison with the American Tuberculosis Association, now the American Lung Association. After achieving her doctorate at Columbia, Alice contemplated moving away from New York. While visiting her friend Gayle Traver in Tucson, Arizona, she fell in love with the beauty of the natural desert landscape. In 1974 she was offered a teaching position in the master’s degree program in nursing at the University of Arizona, and enthusiastically embraced the opportunity. She became full-time tenured faculty at U. of A., and was an excellent teacher, highly regarded by graduate students. Alice served as advisor to countless graduate students over the years, and multiple master’s students requested her participation on their thesis committees. Her clinical interests centered on oncology nursing and care, focusing on some of society’s most difficult and sometimes sidelined issues and underserved populations. Examples of academic papers she co-authored and advised on (available in the University of Arizona archives) include: "Relationship of life-change, spiritual perspective, and perceived well-being to hope in adults with recurrent cancer" "Correlates of self-transcendence in women with advanced breast cancer." "Survival distancing: A grounded theory of living with HIV infection in rural areas" "Surviving the storm: The experience of Desert Storm nurses" Alice’s dedication, professionalism, and caring mentorship shines through in the acknowledgement by one of them, Linda Maria Dominguez, in her thesis The Lived Experience of Women of Mexican Heritage with HIV/AIDS: “My gratitude extends to Dr. Alice J. Longman. Thank you for your support, encouragement, and guidance during the many times I needed assistance. You were always available for me. “ In 1990 Alice was elected as a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (https://www.aannet.org/home), honoring her numerous achievements in nursing and nursing education. In 1995, Alice retired from the University of Arizona College of Nursing as Professor Emerita, an exceptional distinction granted by the University on recommendation of the retiring faculty member’s College. Alice traveled the world, both professionally and for personal learning and enjoyment. Two highlights of her professional international service were her nursing education consultation in Botswana, Africa, and her participation in 1963 with Project Hope in Trujillo, Peru (https://www.projecthope.org/peru-2/). Fluent in Spanish, she often traveled to Central and South American and Spain, learning and experiencing the varied and rich cultures of many different lands. Following in the footsteps of her godmother and aunt, Hazeltine Longman, Alice was accepted for membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution ( https://www.dar.org/). Her personal life was rich in relationships with friends, love of arts and culture, and her spirit of adventure. She initiated annual holiday traditions in our extended family by treating her younger cousins to special cultural destination trips: ballet performances, classical concerts, Radio City Music Hall, and art or science museums. After moving to Tucson, she filled her schedule with concerts, colloquia, film screenings, readings, art exhibitions, and all kinds of special events in the city and at the University. She enjoyed the outdoors with its scenic beauty and ever-present wildlife. Her life in Arizona was full of all kinds of activity and adventure, including hiking, backpacking, bird-watching, photography, golf, and many visits to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. Alice loved her family and was enriched by her love for animals. She provided a loving home for canine companions; her dogs were important in various stages of her life. She was an ardent supporter of the Humane Society of Southern Arizona (https://hssaz.org) Above all, Alice’s life was guided by her strong Roman Catholic faith. She never ceased to assert that she was a “Roman” in practicing her religious faith. She belonged to Tucson’s Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church, and also active as a mentor for Tucson’s Corpus Christi Catholic Youth Group Ministry (http://cccctucson.org/youthministry.html). Youth Group members enjoyed many visits with Alice and her friends at The Forum, where they played board games, shared stories, and the teens displayed their musical talents to the great enjoyment of the residents. The teens in the group loved and appreciated Alice, saying “She always greeted us warmly, making us feel welcome. She would sit front and center when we performed our concert programs there, beaming with encouragement!” Alice is survived by her brother, Walter John Longman; her cousins, Nancie Beste, Martica Lager, Barbara Swingle, and Sarah J. Lager-O’Brien; her second cousins Stacey Mentlick, Michelle Bartlett, Deborah Duffy, Tricia Cavanaugh, Valerie Magro, Kathi Beste, Stacey Beste Gerson, Eric Beste; and many friends and professional colleagues. A Celebration of Life is being planned and will take place in Tucson, AZ in spring 2020. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in Alice’s name to support one of her favorite organizations: ~ Project Hope (https://www.projecthope.org) ~ Tucson’s Corpus Christi Catholic Youth Group Ministry (http://cccctucson.org/youthministry.html) ~ Humane Society of Southern Arizona (https://hssaz.org/help/donate/) ~ University of Arizona’s School of Nursing Faculty Memorial Scholarship fund (https://www.uafoundation.org/netcommunity/page.aspx?pid=493&fid=abBTvYFZRy0%3d&fdesc=ac7QUOasgUGsPNPfguSg%2frOk3BNAD6lFz%2btEQZ%2b83jJBT0hpBRxwLRdHkWan1dHc) http://speedway.tucson.com/classifieds/obituaries/submit.php