Annlouise F. Devenney

Annlouise F. Devenney of Ft. Washington, PA died February 16, 2023. She was born in Mahanoy City, PA to John and Augusta (Bonenberger) Devenney. Annlouise graduated from Melrose Academy HS, Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing, Temple Univ. (BS Education), Graduate School of Boston College (MS Nursing), St. Joseph’s Univ. (MS Health Education), Villanova Univ. (post-masters in administration) and pursued doctoral courses at Temple. She completed certification programs in clinical nursing, staff development education and advanced nursing administration from the Amer. Nurses Assoc. credentialing center. 

Described by colleagues as a “nurses nurse” she held progressively responsible positions at Pennsylvania Hospital as a staff nurse, head nurse, supervisor, instructor, assistant and associate director in the school of nursing, assistant director dept. of nursing and education, and associate director of nursing. Additionally, she held adjunct faculty professorships at CCP, Gwynedd Mercy, Jefferson Univ., Univ. of Penn, Trenton State and Villanova Univ., mentored countless graduate students and was an accreditation visitor for the National League for Nurses. She developed the curriculum and instructed in the first practical nurse training program for the Philadelphia School System, later becoming a technical board member.  

She was elected to Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society for nurses and was awarded the Chapel of the Four Chaplains Award for service to humanity. 

Always highly motivated and never content to be idle, in retirement she was active volunteering in community and healthcare organizations including Joan Karnell Cancer Center and the Historical Library at Pennsylvania Hospital, Temple Univ.-Ambler, Ambler Senior Community Board, tutoring disadvantaged elementary school students and English as a second language students, member and officer in several nursing alumnae associations, past-president of both the Fort Washington Estates Residents’ Association (8 years) and the Council of Presidents, ACTS, Northern Region and for 12 years a member of the ACTS Board of Directors. 

She enjoyed reading, music, theater, camping in her RV, sports and through the years the companionship of her pet dogs and currently her rescue cat. 

Annlouise will be missed greatly by her sister Jane and other relatives and by scores of friends, colleagues, former students and patients from around the country and the globe whose lives were impacted by her. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church located at 33 Conwell Drive, Maple Glen, PA 19002 on May 4, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. Family and friends will gather beginning at 10:30 a.m. Interment will follow at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery where she will be laid to rest with her parents. 

Arrangements by Shaeff-Myers Funeral Home.