Abstract
Patricia Horner, who was the SVT Executive Director from 1986 to 1998, passed away on October 30, 2009 in Bowie, MD, after a lengthy illness. When the Society moved in March 1986 from Columbus, OH, to the Smith Bucklin association management firm in Washington, DC, Pat took over as the Society's Executive Director. Following 8 years at Smith Bucklin, Pat coordinated the move of SVT in 1994 to the Society's own office with a dedicated staff in Lanham, MD, were it is still located today.
Upon hearing of Pat's passing several former Society Presidents and Fellows wrote to express their fond thoughts and recollections of Pat and passed on several interesting stories about her role as the SVT Executive Director.
“My best memory of Pat was a phone call, from a pay phone in Columbus, Ohio (pre-cell phone days) when the SNIVT Staff barricaded themselves in the office and would not let Pat to remove our files and property for the move to Washington, DC. I finally had to get our local lawyer and the Sheriff to negotiate with the staff to let Pat in the office. I was President of the Society then, and it was a little dicey for a bit! Pat managed to get it all done, put our property in a U-Haul (driven by Ken, her husband) and headed back to Washington, DC. What a way to start a relationship—it was never dull! Pat was a force who lead our Society to great successes, and I am deeply saddened for her family. She was a great teacher to many of us.”
Anne Jones, RN, BSN, RVT, RDMS, FSVU – Severna Park, MD 1985–1986 SVT President
“When I first met Pat I was younger and just starting to get involved with SVT and I have to admit she scared the pants off of me at that first meeting. I remember her saying ‘I hear you are from Pittsburgh.’ I thought to myself, is this a good thing or a bad thing. So I admitted I was from Pittsburgh and she said ‘come on over here and let's talk.’ Pat then took a liking to me and encouraged me to get more involved. She was very good at mentoring and I liked her.”
Deborah Pirt, RVT, FSVU – Pittsburgh, PA 2010–2011 SVU President-Elect
“We all have mentors as we travel on our life journey and I count Pat Horner as one of mine. She worked hard for our Society and was an important part of our growth. I hope she did not suffer during her last days.”
Pat Marques, RN, RVT, FSVU – Baton Rouge, LA 2000–2001 SVU President
“One measure of how much someone has influenced your life is the depth to which your heart sinks when you hear of their passing. In the case of Pat Horner, mine fell to the floor. Much time has passed since Pat served as the SVT/U's Executive Director and thus many members today do not know of Pat or the many contributions she made to our Society. As the last SVT/U President to work with Pat before she retired (only to later work again for another organization), I can tell you that she loved the Society more than life itself. She had an iron vault for a memory and truly was a walking archive of the Society's history, an invaluable asset to all who served on the Society's Board.
By their very nature, Society Presidents and Board members come and go with the completion of their terms, the consistency in leadership within the organization typically being provided by the Executive Director. In that capacity, Pat nurtured and mentored many of us to rise to the occasion as our positions within the Society required. She guided the Society through its transition away from Smith-Bucklin (a professional association management firm) setting the stage for it to become the flourishing organization that it is today.
Pat was a very wise and intelligent woman and never wavered in her loyalty to the Society. She was very protective of the Society and always acted in its best interest. She really believed that whatever the action, decision, or outcome, it was shared or executed with a belief that it was what was best for SVT.”
Keith Fujioka, BS, RVT, FSVU – Seattle, WA 1996–1997 SVT President
“I cannot say her passing was unexpected, but it is still a shock to me. She was one of the unforgettable people in my life, and from all the comments, I was not alone in that feeling. I think I was privileged to know a side of her she did not often show in public, and as different as we were, we accepted each other based on our strong feelings for our Society. She was quite opinionated, but, if you put the Society first, she could be your friend.”
Bill Johnson, RVT FSVU – Yakima, WA 1998 SVT President
“I agree with all of you that Pat was a fierce advocate for and protector of SVU. Like many others, I learned a lot of valuable lessons in leadership from her that have served me well in my employment and in my work with SVU and other professional organizations.
I often marvel that she apparently identified some hidden potential in our small, unsophisticated, Ohio-based little SNIVT in the mid 1980's. But she truly took the organization and its leaders under her wing and nurtured us and moved us up to the next level. She helped us learn to work together, even when we couldn't get along together. And she also reminded us that there was a life of drinking and dancing and having a good time together at the end of the day. She was always up for dancing!
Perhaps these remembrances of Pat are illustrative of her finest legacy: the ability to take a bunch of young, naive, inexperienced vascular ultrasound clinicians and turn them into good professional Society leaders. That's a lasting influence anyone could wish for.“
Rita E. Shugart, RN, RVT, FSVU – Greensboro, NC 1996–1997 SVT President
“I remember interviewing Pat for the job of Executive Director at Rita Shugart's office in Greensboro, NC ‘way back in the old days. She was a good interviewee. Amazingly I remember her as being reserved during the interview. She was never reserved after that! She certainly devoted many years to the organization both when she worked for Smith Bucklin and after she/we moved on from them.”
Lee Nix, BSN, RN, RVT, FSVU – Memphis, TN 1981– 1982 SVT President
“Pat was a lovely lady. She showed courage when courage was needed and extended friendship and support. I always admired those characteristics. I will pray for comfort for her family.”
Katie Vollrath, BSN, RN, RVT, FSVU – Wauwatosa, WI 1983–1984 SVT President
Her funeral was on November 6, 2009 and she was buried later in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA, as her husband is a veteran. At her family's request, SVU made a contribution in Pat's name to the Shriners Hospital for Children.