Francene (Stepanich) Weatherby
Aug. 17, 1946 - April 15, 2019
Francene Stepanich was born August 17, 1946, to Henry and Agnes Stepanich in Neodesha. She graduated from Neodesha High School, where she was active in a myriad of activities -- from student government to choir (and everything in between) and received a multitude of accolades, from poetry and science awards to basketball princess.
After graduation in 1964, Francene attended the University of Kansas in Lawrence. It was there she followed in her mother’s footsteps and began pursuing a career in nursing. While at KU, she met Gerald Weatherby, who also was from Neodesha and was a graduate student at the same time. They married in October of 1968. That same year, Francene graduated with a bachelor's degree in nursing.
With a career spanning more than 40 years, Francene helped educate and mold generations of nurses. Beginning in Sault Sainte Marie, Mich., at Lake Superior State University (formerly College) as a fledging professor, she retired from the University of Oklahoma in 2016 holding a Ph.D. and achieving the post of assistant dean.
In addition to teaching, Francene actively participated in and led many professional organizations such as the Oklahoma Board of Nursing, president of the Oklahoma Nurses Association, the Oklahoma League of Nursing, and chair of Sigma Theta Tau Delta Chapter, to name a few. She is a published author and even helped develop legislation. Her expertise has been shared both in the United States and abroad. The many contributions Francene made to the nursing profession have been formally recognized many times –- her latest being the Florence Nightingale award in 2018.
Francene was also an active member of the Catholic Church. She sang in the choir at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Oklahoma City as well as the Canterbury Choral Society. These groups gave her the opportunity to perform internationally including in Rome, Italy, to perform for Pope John Paul II.
Francene is survived by her two daughters, Tracy Heidman-Weatherby and her wife Krysta of Los Angeles, Calif., and Allison Lee and her husband Kelly and their son Jon Kelly of Edmond, Okla. She is also survived by three siblings: Robert and his wife Pam, Jim and his wife Vickie, and Mary Bauman and her husband Chris. Francene was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Agnes, and her husband of 50 years, Gerald, who died on Christmas Eve of 2018.
A memorial mass of Christian burial will be held at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help on May 3, 2019. On May 4, a memorial mass of Christian burial will be held at St. Ignatius Catholic Church in Neodesha.
