Nola Della-Monica

HAVERHILL, MASS. — Nola Raye Della-Monica, 61, of Hudson, N.H. and formerly of Bridgton, passed away on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2014 at Merrimack Valley Hospice House in Haverhill, Mass.
Nola was born on March 7, 1953, in Stoneham, Mass., to Wyvern Smith and the late Verna (Martin) Smith.
Nola was the loving wife of Glenn Della-Monica, with whom she shared 36 years of marriage.
Nola spent more than 30 years as a clinical Registered Nurse, culminating as the director of several departments at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco. She then received her Ph.D. from Boston College and served the nursing profession for her last six years as a nursing professor, most recently at Emmanuel College in Boston. She loved her students so much that she attended their graduation last spring in a wheelchair within days of being released from the hospital after major surgery.
A strong advocate of lifelong learning for nurses, Nola even encouraged all of her caregivers during her six-year battle with cancer to pursue advanced college degrees, sometimes from a gurney while being wheeled into surgery.
For nearly three decades, Nola has served the Church of the Nazarene as a Sunday school teacher for children, youth and adults. She served several terms on the church boards in California and New Hampshire. As a missionary, she taught children’s classes and helped construct churches in Mexico, Fiji and Panama.
As a member of the International Association for Human Caring, she spoke passionately about her Nurse Caring Theory as close to home as Boston, and as far a field as Freemantle, Australia. Her theory, developed while at Boston College, shows that presence in the moment, technical competence and compassion for and connection with the patient are all necessary for the most effective nursing care.
Nola enjoyed travel, especially to Maine and Walt Disney World. She was also an avid reader of mystery novels and historical works.
In addition to her loving husband, Glenn, and her father, Wyvern, Nola is survived by her brother, Jeffrey Smith of Valley Center, Calif.; her sisters, Nona Smith of Brooklyn, N.Y. and Cathleen Ristaino of Londonderry, N.H.; nieces, nephews and a grandniece.
Services for Nola were held at Community Chapel Church of the Nazarene, 5 St. Laurent Street, Nashua, N.H. on Nov. 22, 2014 with a gathering for lunch at the same location afterward. Interment will be in Maine at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, Nola wanted donations sent to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries through Community Chapel Church of the Nazarene (HYPERLINK "http://www.community-chapel.org/"www.community-chapel.org), or Home Health & Hospice Care of Merrimack, N.H., which provided home care (HYPERLINK "http://www.hhhc.org/"www.hhhc.org), or Merrimack Valley Hospice House, where she received her final care (HYPERLINK "https://www.hhf.thankyou4caring.org/GiveNow"https://www.hhf.thankyou4caring.org/GiveNow). Please indicate the donation is in memory of Nola. Arrangements were by Dumont-Sullivan Funeral Home in Hudson, N.H.