Helen Pyles will be the first to tell you about the impact nurses have made in her life and the lives of others. From her niece Marcia and her family friend Darlene to the retired nurses who live in Helen’s retirement community, she believes nurses should be admired and celebrated.
“I’ve always had a lot of respect for people who have the calling to be a nurse,” Helen said. “There have been times I’ve found myself in the hospital and the person who is always taking good care of me is a nurse.”
With that service in mind, this year Helen established a nursing scholarship at the Indiana University School of Nursing in Fort Wayne. While the Pyles Family IUFW Nursing Scholarship recognizes the value and contributions of all nurses, Helen set up the scholarship fund to honor the nurses, both active and retired, who are part of The Towne House Retirement Community in Fort Wayne, where Helen has lived since 2011.
“We have wonderful nurses here at The Towne House, and it’s quite amazing to me how many of our residents have been nurses,” Helen said.
A native of Zanesville, Ohio, Helen was a successful insurance agent in Fort Wayne for more than 30 years. In addition to completing college and insurance courses as an adult, she taught insurance classes and was one of the first women in Fort Wayne to obtain the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) certifications.
Helen is a member of the Indiana University Arbutus Society and the Indiana University School of Nursing Ethel P. Clarke Society in recognition of her planned gift. Visit https://iufoundation.planmylegacy.org/arbutus-society to learn more about the Arbutus Society.
“I recognize that going to college is a very expensive thing to do,” said Helen, who set up a similar nursing scholarship in honor of her niece at a college in Pennsylvania. “If my scholarships help somebody attain a dream and if that dream means that other people get the help they need from nurses, then I’m very proud. Being able to do this makes me feel on top of the world.”
