Nursing assistant, Laurena White, dies Aug. 26
Laurena White, nursing assistant, 62, died Aug. 26 due to a prolonged illness.
Ms.
Laurena White
A former MUSC employee, who retired last January, Ms. White worked for the medical center for 24 years and ended her 40-year nursing career on 8E.
She was born Jan. 5, 1942 in Charleston to Lawrence Williams and Ellastein Johnson and graduated from Burke High School. Her husband John White and two of her brothers, Raymond and Johnny, predeceased her.
Ms. White is survived by her children, Teddy L. Williams (Jerilyn) and Kimeko White (Kim); parents; one grandchild; four great grandchildren; brothers Lamar Williams, David Johnson; sisters Marie, Brenda, and Judy Johnson; three aunts; three uncles, and many nieces and nephews.
Relatives and friends of Ms. White were invited to attend funeral services for her on Sept. 1 at New Hope Baptist Church in North Charleston. She was laid to rest at Sunset Memorial Gardens in North Charleston.
“Laurena was truly a wonderful lady. I wish that she’d had a chance
to enjoy her retirement instead of falling ill so shortly after she left
us at 8E. She was so sweet and she really was the most humble person
you’d ever meet. We all miss her very much.”
—Bonnie Foulois, 8E Nurse Manager
“Ms. White made my job a whole lot easier when she was here.
She really added to the quality care that patients receive here on 8E.
With Ms. White, every patient always got a fair shake with quality, reliability,
and compassion. She is missed.”
—Ed Cawthorn, R.N., 8E
“She had the most beautiful smile and was one of the kindest people
that I’ve ever met. She absolutely loved nursing and taking care of
people. Laurena worked hard and had a great sense of humor. We’re both
old timers … having been in the field for more than 40 years. She was a
joy to work with.”
—Jean Cooper, R.N., 8E
“Laurena was such a beautiful person, inside and out. She had
so much wisdom.”
—Dianne Westcott, Nursing Assistant, 8E
“Laurena and I both have been in this field for more than 40 years,
she and I actually worked together before the hospital was integrated into
MUSC… she was actually very involved with the group that went on strike.
She
was not afraid to stand up for what she believed in but when it was time
to move and put things behind her, she did just that and took it all in
stride. I can be hot-tempered and Laurena could bring my temper down pretty
easily. She would always smooth things out and never had a cross word for
anyone. She had earned her retirement and it makes me sad that she didn’t
have a chance to enjoy it. She is truly missed by us all.”
—Ann Baldwin, R.N., 8E
“I’ve worked as a nursing assistant for 16 years, and had the pleasure
of working with Laurena. She was such a wonderful person, always busy.
I’d see her dragging laundry bags down the hallway and ask her why she
was doing it and she’s say, ‘Somebody’s gotta do it.’ She always said that.
I never heard her complain at work or when she became sick. She was truly
a wonderful lady.”
—Shirley Dais, Nursing Assistant, 8E
Friday, Sept. 10, 2004
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