Nettie Birnbach, of Rockville, died on Dec. 18. She was 93.
Dr. Birnbach was a graduate of Kings County School of Nursing in Brooklyn, N.Y. She served in the United States Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II. A dedicated nurse, Dr. Birnbach returned to school in her 40s, earning a bachelor’s degree in nursing, and a masters degree in nursing education and a doctorate of education, this last from Columbia
University’s Teachers College.
After 18 years of nursing practice, Dr. Birnbach turned her love to nursing
education and served 22 years as a nurse educator. She is professor emeritus at the College of Nursing, State University of New York at Brooklyn. A nurse historian and clinical specialist in community health nursing, Dr. Birnbach authore several books, edited others and contributed forewords and chapters for other authors.
She presented some 70 papers on nursing and nursing education in the U.S., Europe and Canada. She was inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame in 2010.
A four-generation life member of Hadassah, Birnbach served on the National Board in 2003 and was founder and past president of the Henrietta Szold Nurses Council of Hadassah in the Florida Atlantic Region.
Nettie was predeceased by her husband of 54 years, Marvin.
She is survived by her daughters, Sarah Sheila Birnbach (Jake Guttmann), Lois Wolf (Bill Hall) and Jane Birnbach; her six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
