Friday, September 9, 2005

Marjorie E. Gaunt, Detroit: Nurse trained disaster volunteers

By Oralandar Brand-Williams / The Detroit News

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As a nurse, Marjorie E. Gaunt was known for her giving spirit and the generosity she exhibited to friends and strangers.

"She was an angel to everyone," said Miss Gaunt's longtime friend Paulina Leon. "She helped people. She encouraged and believed in people."

Miss Gaunt, a longtime Detroit resident, died of Lou Gehrig's disease Friday Sept., 2, 2005, at her home. She was 86.

Miss Gaunt was a former director of nursing programs and a leader of the Disaster Nursing Team for the American Red Cross in Detroit. She was responsible for programs that trained nurses to go into disaster-battered areas in the United States and abroad.

"She went to a lot of disasters," Leon said. "She talked about it all the time."

Miss Gaunt was a 1953 graduate of Providence Hospital School of Nursing. She later earned a master's degree in education from the University of Michigan.

In addition to her career as a disaster trainer for nurses, Miss Gaunt also taught volunteer nurses who were involved in community nursing programs, such as home nursing, teaching parenting skills and child care.

In 1963, Miss Gaunt went to Florida to help provide health screenings and medical aid to refugees who fled Cuba.

Miss Gaunt belonged to community health organizations, including the Citizens for Better Care, a group aimed at improving conditions for patients and residents of local nursing homes. She also was involved in Health-O-Rama, a local health screening program.

Miss Gaunt was a longtime member of St. Bridget Catholic Church in Detroit. She was a former church secretary and president of the parish council. When the parish closed, she began attending Gesu Catholic Church on Detroit's northwest side.

A funeral Mass for Miss Gaunt was celebrated Wednesday at Gesu Catholic Church in Detroit.

Burial was in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield.

Arrangements were handled by James H. Cole Home for Funerals, 2624 W. Grand Blvd., Detroit.

You can reach Oralandar Brand-Williams at (313) 222-2027 or bwilliams@detnews.com.