Central New York/Syracuse Nurse Honor Guard (2026)

05/06/2026

ATTENTION:
"Call to Duty"
We have been invited to perform the Nightingale Tribute for
Janet W. Winters, BSN, RN, 74.
Janet was a graduate of Morrisville College, where she received her degree in nursing. She married Chris L. Winters, in Trinity Episcopal Church, Canastota, on September 18, 1971.
Prior to her retirement, Janet was employed with Community General Hospital as a registered professional nurse. She was a very active member with the former Trinity Episcopal Church, loved reading and her family, especially her grandchildren, and enjoyed gardening and golf.
Surviving besides her husband, Chris, are her two daughters, Michelle (Keith) Kinney of Chesapeake, Virginia and Dawn Winters of Canastota; her son, Chris Winters II of Canastota; her five grandchildren, Ethan Agans, Kara, Winters, Keenan Winters, Kaitlyn Kinney and Jacob Kinney; her two sisters, Gail (Jeff) Tianello and Cindy Kolcheski, both of Chittenango; her three brothers, Greg (Diane) Wright of Cazenovia, Steve (Anne Blaiser) of South Pittsburgh, Tennessee and Robert (Rose) Wright of Oneida; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by a sister, Sharon Daisernia.
Friends may call at the funeral home, June 5, 2026, at11 AM - 1 PM, Friday, prior to the funeral service. Funeral services will be held 1 PM, Friday from the Campbell-Dean Funeral Home, Inc., 300 South Peterboro Street, Canastota, with the Reverend Nick Smith, officiating. The Nightingale Tribute was presented at 1 PM, at the end of calling hours, just before the prayer service began. Joyce and Mary R presented the tribute to the crowded room-full of family members and friends. We placed the white roses in the casket with Janet. Her youngest daughter Dawn, an LPN, tearfully accepted the lamp.
We had an opportunity to speak with Janet’s husband Chris beforehand. He explained how devoted Janet was to her career at Community General Hospital for many years. She also worked in several health care facilities in Virginia, as well as throughout Oneida and Madison counties.

05/06/2026

ATTENTION:
"Call to Duty"
We have been invited to perform the Nightingale Tribute for
Kathleen O'Grady, RN, 77.
Kathleen was a Nurse, employed for many years by St. Joseph's Hospital, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston, Texas and the State of Connecticut.
Kathleen adored her family and was completely devoted to her children and grandchildren.
She loved animals of all kinds; from the dogs she lovingly raised to the squirrels and birds in her backyard that she enjoyed watching and feeding. Kathleen was also an avid gardener and had a talent for antique restoration.
She is survived by her daughter, Maureen (James Burritt) Rucynski, of Oswego, her son John (Sara) Dudley of Vienna, Virginia and her grandchildren Xavier Dudley and Eve Dudley.
In addition to her parents, Kathleen was preceded in death by her brother John O’Grady.
Kathleen’s graveside services and burial will be held in the Spring at Mt. Adnah Cemetery at 12 am on June 5, 2026. There will be a Celebration of Life Luncheon for Kathleen at GS Steamers Bar & Grill. 70 E 1st Street, Oswego from 1-3, after the graveside service.1:30 PM, before luncheon at restaurant The Nightingale Tribute was presented at 1:30 pm by Dawn B, Mary O, Collette B, Bobbi C, and Claudia H. The banquet room at the Steamers restaurant was filled with family and friends. A lovely table of pictures and memories was on display. Kathleen’s daughter received the white rose, and her son received the Lamp. Many thanks were received for our attendance at this celebration of Kathleen’s career.
Arrangements are under the caring guidance of Nelson Funeral Home.

05/06/2026

We were invited to the SYRACUSE GENERAL/COMMUNITY GENERAL NURSING ALUMNI LUNCHEON on June 5, Friday
at 1:15 PM, after luncheon. It was held at Vito's Restaurant, 320 E 1st St, off Bridge Street, E. Syracuse.
We performed the Nightingale Tribute for Fellow Nurses, honoring their members who have passed away, but also honoring their members who were present and are still alive and well, and meet as a group a couple times a year!! Jan and Donna are members of this group, and Betty, another member had donated her cape and Graduation Uniform to our NHG chapter a year ago!!
We symbolically presented the lamp and roses to the group, recited the poem, " They were There" ...there were chuckles about the Family's thank you box of chocolate and they appreciated the Roll Call. There were MANY questions and many took the brochure and business card to look over and possibly join or pass to fellow nurses, some family members!
What an honor to join with this group of well-seasoned nurses!! Thank you for inviting us!!

05/06/2026

We were invited to attend the CAZENOVIA VETERANS PARADE on May 25 at 10 AM. We were directly behind the Honor Guards who led the parade. They sure can march at a quick clip! There were classic cars behind us after the Boy Scout Troops... as you can see in one of the poses! The Nurses marching were Amy C, Jessica M, and Faith T. The weather was wonderful. At midpoint of the parade, they stopped at the Community Park and had a Memorial Service honoring their Veterans who had passed. It was very moving to be part of it, because they and a string ensemble who played while the names of the veterans were read, then the bell was rung. There was a 21-gun salute and laying of the wreath. This year was done by one of the Veterans who is over 100 years old!
The Veterans LOVE to have our NHG there. It is like we are family. We go representing the nurses in all branches of service who took care of the wounded veteran soldiers during each of the wars. We look forward to being part of their parades.

05/06/2026

We were invited to participate in the ONEIDA Veterans Parade on Friday, May 22. The Memorial Ceremony was held at the Community Park at 6:30. It is a very moving tribute. Line up for the Parade is by the park, with all of us stepping off at 7 PM. Marching this year were Rosemarie R, Ang F, Mary O, and Faith T, proudly carrying our banner! We were honored and blessed to have our NHG 'brother" pose with us, but he had other responsibilities to do! Great to see you Keith B. The weather was wonderful, people clapped and cheered for us and LOVED seeing 'Real Nurses'!! There were Alot of participants this year. The Parade ended at the American Legion Hall.

02/06/2026

ATTENTION:
"Call to Duty"
We have been invited to perform the Nightingale Tribute for
Jacquelyn K. Williams, BSN,82.
Jacquelyn graduated from SUNY Morrisville with a degree in Nursing.
She started her career as a Registered Nurse with Community Memorial Hospital, Hamilton and later at Loretto Rehabilitation Center, Syracuse until her retirement.
She was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Hamilton. She was an accomplished pianist and playing the piano gave her great joy. She was a passionate reader, gifted cook and was such a fun-loving social gal, and we have many great memories of hanging out with her, especially with our friends on Maple Ave!
Surviving are her two daughters and son-in-law, Kimberley Wood of Owego, Kerry and William Engle of Grand Junction, CO; brother and sister-in-law, Stephen and Patricia Ripley of Syracuse; sister-in-law, Marian Waelder (wife of Joan Banks); grandchildren, Sarah and Ryan McDowell of Owego, Spencer Wood of Cazenovia, Bradley and Nicole Wood of Oneida, Stephanie Engle and Raj Kishore Rathinam of Santa Cruz, CA; cousins Sue Crandall and Barbara Fuller; and several nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her two sisters, MaryAnne Ripley and Joan Banks.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Burgess & Tedesco Funeral Home, 25 Broad st., Hamilton, NY 13346 on Monday May 18, 2026, at 10:00 am The Nightingale Tribute was presented at the start of the service at 10 AM by Deanna S and Mary R. We had an opportunity to speak with her daughter Kerry prior to beginning, talk a little about Jacquelyn’s career, and offer our condolences.
The family decided after the service who would take the rose and lamp.

02/06/2026

ATTENTION:
"Call to Duty"
We have been invited to perform the Nightingale Tribute for
Lanna M. (Clark) Goodwin, 61,
She was a proud graduate of Cayuga Community College, where she earned her Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) certification.
Lanna dedicated over 30 years of her life to caring for others. She was employed at St. Joseph’s Health for more than 20 years and was known for her compassion, gentle nature, and unwavering commitment to her patients. Nursing was not just her profession—it was her calling, and she made a lasting difference in the lives of many.
Lanna is survived by her daughter, Jennifer (Jeff) Bickford; her son, Jason (Ashley) Goodwin; her cherished grandchildren, her great-grandchildren, her siblings, as well as many nieces and nephews.
Lanna will be forever missed and lovingly remembered for her kind heart, gentle spirit, and the love she gave so freely to her family, friends, and all who were blessed to know her.
Lanna enjoyed spending time with family and friends. She loved riding on the back of her friend’s motorcycle and spending time at the ocean. She had a passion for music and a fondness for 1960s tie-dye clothing. Lanna was also the former owner of Sunseekers Tanning Salon, where she enjoyed meeting new people and participating in community events.
A celebration of life was held on Saturday, May 16, at the Fulton VFW. The Nightingale Tribute was performed at 1 PM by Bobbi C, Mary O, Susan C, Deb W, Lisa S, Sharon C, Dawn B, and Claudia H.
We were invited to honor Lanna and later learned that Lanna's father- also a nurse and respiratory therapist, had passed away in December of 2025. Since our motto is "No Nurse Forgotten" it was decided to have a Nightingale tribute that honored both of them- A father and his daughter.
The VFW Hall was full of family and friends, and it was requested that we offer the Nightingale tribute after the short Eulogy given by their Pastor. His message fit right in with our Tribute. We adapted our words to reflect these 2 nurses who spent their lives in service. We presented two roses: a white rose to honor Lanna, and a red rose to honor David, which were placed on the beautiful memory table that Lanna's daughter had prepared. We presented the Lamp in honor of both and placed that on the Memory Table as well. After the tribute, there were many comments thanking us for remembering the careers of both of them.

02/06/2026

ATTENTION:
"Call to Duty"
We were invited to perform the Nightingale Tribute for
Joan Gorman, BSN, RN,94.
She received her RN degree from Crouse-Irving School of Nursing and BS in Nursing Education from Syracuse University. She gave a neighbor, James Gorman, a ride to a college class and ended up being married to him for nearly 65 years.
Joan was a caregiver who spent her life caring for family, friends and neighbors. She enjoyed helping people and more than anything enjoyed spending time with both immediate and extended family. Joan hosted many family gatherings and spent time traveling to visit family all over the US.Joan and Jim were among the first parishioners at St. Ann's church and were very active in church activities, including running the food pantry for years and teaching religious education.
Joan is survived by her sons, James Gorman Jr. and Christopher (Nancy) Gorman, grandchildren, Brad Sniper (Emma Morris) and Emma Gorman, and many beloved nieces, nephews and great-nieces/nephews.
The Nightingale Tribute was performed at St. Charles/St. Ann's Parish, 501 So. Orchard Rd, Syracuse at 9:45 AM before 10 AM mass by Elaine L, Donna K, Dawn B, Catherine H, and Barb L.
We honored Joan with our Nightingale tribute before the mass. One of her sons came up to us before the service and talked about his mom as a nurse. He said she was a caregiver to so many relatives. She gave what what we now know as hospice care to her mother after her mother had a stroke. The hospital wanted to keep her there as a patient, but because Joan was a nurse and married to an MD, the hospital agreed to discharge her mother to Joan’s home. Joan cared for her mom until she passed away, keeping her home and out of the hospital. He was so proud that they too were able to care for and keep Joan home at the last part of her life until she passed away. That was a lovely gift they were able to give for a wonderful caretaker of many. He went on to tell us that Joan wrote out her credentials and was very proud of them. She made sure they included in the obituary, not just Crouse School of Nursing, but Crouse-Irving School of Nursing as it was called when Joan attended. He tearfully showed us her graduation photos which included one where she was dressed in our uniforms – including a cape just like ours! We place the rose with Joan on her casket, and her son received the lamp.

01/06/2026

We were invited to the Onondaga Community College Pinning Ceremony Saturday, May 16 from 9 -10AM. It was held in the Storer Auditorium and it was a beautiful service. The students sat in the left front and awards were given to some students. The Nurses Honor Guard processed down the middle aisle to the stage and we presented the Nightingale Tribute welcoming the new Graduates to the Nursing Profession. NHG members presenting were Faith T, RoseMarie R, Kathleen M, Julie (new), Sharon C, Denise M, and Deb W. Then the students all stood and recited the Revised Nightingale Pledge with us. Each student received their pin, then after a script comparing nursing school to labor and delivery, the students attained their goal, graduation compared to the birth of a baby!! They were graduates! They all gave a loud shout out then recessed from the auditorium. Their graduation from OCC was at 11 AM. The President of the college said he appreciates al we do for our Nurses Honor Guard and that we are there to honor their CON students.

28/05/2026

ATTENTION:
"Call to Duty"
We have been invited to perform the Nightingale Tribute for
Kathy/ Kathleen Burgess (Kathy) Ditterline, BSN, RN (Crouse), 73.
She attended the College of Nursing at Crouse Hospital, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing while simultaneously raising her four boys and acting as a loving caregiver to her nieces. She served many years as a nurse, and then as a case manager employed by Crouse Hospital for close to 30 years.
She passed away May 5, 2026 of a broken heart as she was recently preceded in death by her husband of 52 years William (Bill) Ditterline. Her husband died just 5 months ago, now leaving the 4 sons with raw emotions, as the funeral director described to me. So sad. This is a lot for them to have to deal with in a short period of time.
She is survived by her four sons – Michael (Laurie McConnell) of Denver, CO, Jeffrey of Rochester, NY, David (Shannon Donohue) of Eastwood, NY and Ryan (Kristin Schu) of Shamokin, PA; her four beloved grandchildren – Will and Drew Ditterline of Rochester, NY and Tessa and Owen Ditterline of Denver, CO; brother Roger (Cathyann Lautier) Burgess of Hendersonville, NC, and sister Mary (Skip Piazza) of Memphis, NY; brothers in law Jack (Susan Schick) Ditterline of Arden, NC and Tim Ditterline of Eastwood, NY, sister in law Sue Rizzo (John) of East Syracuse, NY, as well as her many cherished nieces and nephews and their children.
Her grandchildren were the lights of her life, and she lit up accordingly whenever they were near or photos of them were shared with her. She loved to putz around in her rock garden at The River as well as slowly, but surely, removing all weeds by hand throughout the extensive lawn there. She thoroughly enjoyed going for boat rides with her husband in the Thousand Islands. She never missed an opportunity to host holiday family gatherings and had become the matriarch of our large and loving family. Her apple pie crust was beyond compare; and if we can ever locate the recipe, it will be available upon request.
Calling hours were held on Thursday May 14, from 3-6 pm followed by a service beginning at 6 pm at Burns-Garfield Funeral Home, 3175 E. Genesee St. Syracuse 13224. The Nightingale Tribute was presented at 6pm, after calling hours and before the memorial service by Sharon C, Donna K, Elaine L, Dawn, Kathy M, Deb W, Susan C and Mary R The room was full with family and friends. The rose and lamp were placed near Kathy’s urn so the family could decide afterwards who will receive them.

Central New York/Syracuse Nurse Honor Guard

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

02/06/2026

02/06/2026

02/06/2026

01/06/2026

28/05/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Organization

Shortcuts

Share