Chicagotribune.com August 30, 1999
As a longtime nurse educator for two Chicago-area hospitals, Beverly Harlev helped mold the standards and shape the careers of thousands of nurses.
But no matter how much she had accomplished in her career, Mrs. Harlev was always eager to take on more challenges. Even after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a decade ago, she refused to slow down or feel sorry for herself, family members and friends said.
In the last few years of her life, Mrs. Harlev was the coordinator of curriculum and accreditation for Ravenswood Hospital's School of Nursing, where she helped lead a major project to introduce an associate's degree program.
"She was a great lady, not famous, but truly great," said her husband of 34 years, Robert. "She told me once,'I don't quit. I'm not a quitter'...So when she was in horrible pain, she still wanted to finish her work at the hospital. She (sometimes) went to work almost in tears with the pain.
Mrs. Harlev,59, who spent 25 years as a nurse educator at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge before joining Ravenswood Hospital in Chicago about 12 years ago, died Thursday of ovarian cancer in her Elk Grove Village home.
A native of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Harlev earned her graduate degree in nursing and educational administration from Northern Illinois University and did most of the course work required for a doctorate.
Mrs. Harlev and her husband also took in several teenage foster children, one of whom they later adopted. Among the foster children was Ali Uzumcu, a high school student from Turkey, who had planned to study in the U.S. for a year until her was inspired by the Harlevs to continue his education here. With the Harlevs' guidance, Uzumcu went on to earn his bachelor's degree in Illinois and is now an engineer for a Chicago company.
Uzumcu said Mrs. Harlev worked an exhausting schedule for years by spending her days at the hospital and her nights studying for her master's degree. Still she was always there as a supporter and friend to her family, took time to make five-course dinners every night and volunteered for an elderly couple in the suburbs who needed help with errands and advice on medical care.
"Remarkable is the way I describe her," Uzumcu said. "Just looking at what she did for other people, there are no words that can describe it. She just never bragged about what she did. She just did this from her heart, and to her it was nothing.
With Mrs. Harlev's help and leadership, Ravenswood Hospital opened a new associate's degree program in January 1988. The program is now in candidacy status with the North Central Assoc. of Higher Education for Regional Accreditation, and the hospital is already awarding degrees.
Phyllis Thomson, executive dean of the program and Mrs. Harlev's supervisor, said Mrs. Harlev was incredibly dedicated.
"Beverly was one of the most hard-working. diligent and committed people that I've ever worked with," Thomson said. "She was thorough, always professional and a real student advocate...She just committed herself completely to her work.
As a longtime nurse educator for two Chicago-area hospitals, Beverly Harlev helped mold the standards and shape the careers of thousands of nurses.
But no matter how much she had accomplished in her career, Mrs. Harlev was always eager to take on more challenges. Even after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a decade ago, she refused to slow down or feel sorry for herself, family members and friends said.
In the last few years of her life, Mrs. Harlev was the coordinator of curriculum and accreditation for Ravenswood Hospital's School of Nursing, where she helped lead a major project to introduce an associate's degree program.
"She was a great lady, not famous, but truly great," said her husband of 34 years, Robert. "She told me once,'I don't quit. I'm not a quitter'...So when she was in horrible pain, she still wanted to finish her work at the hospital. She (sometimes) went to work almost in tears with the pain.
Mrs. Harlev,59, who spent 25 years as a nurse educator at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge before joining Ravenswood Hospital in Chicago about 12 years ago, died Thursday of ovarian cancer in her Elk Grove Village home.
A native of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Harlev earned her graduate degree in nursing and educational administration from Northern Illinois University and did most of the course work required for a doctorate.
Mrs. Harlev and her husband also took in several teenage foster children, one of whom they later adopted. Among the foster children was Ali Uzumcu, a high school student from Turkey, who had planned to study in the U.S. for a year until her was inspired by the Harlevs to continue his education here. With the Harlevs' guidance, Uzumcu went on to earn his bachelor's degree in Illinois and is now an engineer for a Chicago company.
Uzumcu said Mrs. Harlev worked an exhausting schedule for years by spending her days at the hospital and her nights studying for her master's degree. Still she was always there as a supporter and friend to her family, took time to make five-course dinners every night and volunteered for an elderly couple in the suburbs who needed help with errands and advice on medical care.
"Remarkable is the way I describe her," Uzumcu said. "Just looking at what she did for other people, there are no words that can describe it. She just never bragged about what she did. She just did this from her heart, and to her it was nothing.
With Mrs. Harlev's help and leadership, Ravenswood Hospital opened a new associate's degree program in January 1988. The program is now in candidacy status with the North Central Assoc. of Higher Education for Regional Accreditation, and the hospital is already awarding degrees.
Phyllis Thomson, executive dean of the program and Mrs. Harlev's supervisor, said Mrs. Harlev was incredibly dedicated.
"Beverly was one of the most hard-working. diligent and committed people that I've ever worked with," Thomson said. "She was thorough, always professional and a real student advocate...She just committed herself completely to her work.
Chicagotribune.com August 30, 1999
As a longtime nurse educator for two Chicago-area hospitals, Beverly Harlev helped mold the standards and shape the careers of thousands of nurses.
But no matter how much she had accomplished in her career, Mrs. Harlev was always eager to take on more challenges. Even after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a decade ago, she refused to slow down or feel sorry for herself, family members and friends said.
In the last few years of her life, Mrs. Harlev was the coordinator of curriculum and accreditation for Ravenswood Hospital's School of Nursing, where she helped lead a major project to introduce an associate's degree program.
"She was a great lady, not famous, but truly great," said her husband of 34 years, Robert. "She told me once,'I don't quit. I'm not a quitter'...So when she was in horrible pain, she still wanted to finish her work at the hospital. She (sometimes) went to work almost in tears with the pain.
Mrs. Harlev,59, who spent 25 years as a nurse educator at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge before joining Ravenswood Hospital in Chicago about 12 years ago, died Thursday of ovarian cancer in her Elk Grove Village home.
A native of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Harlev earned her graduate degree in nursing and educational administration from Northern Illinois University and did most of the course work required for a doctorate.
Mrs. Harlev and her husband also took in several teenage foster children, one of whom they later adopted. Among the foster children was Ali Uzumcu, a high school student from Turkey, who had planned to study in the U.S. for a year until her was inspired by the Harlevs to continue his education here. With the Harlevs' guidance, Uzumcu went on to earn his bachelor's degree in Illinois and is now an engineer for a Chicago company.
Uzumcu said Mrs. Harlev worked an exhausting schedule for years by spending her days at the hospital and her nights studying for her master's degree. Still she was always there as a supporter and friend to her family, took time to make five-course dinners every night and volunteered for an elderly couple in the suburbs who needed help with errands and advice on medical care.
"Remarkable is the way I describe her," Uzumcu said. "Just looking at what she did for other people, there are no words that can describe it. She just never bragged about what she did. She just did this from her heart, and to her it was nothing.
With Mrs. Harlev's help and leadership, Ravenswood Hospital opened a new associate's degree program in January 1988. The program is now in candidacy status with the North Central Assoc. of Higher Education for Regional Accreditation, and the hospital is already awarding degrees.
Phyllis Thomson, executive dean of the program and Mrs. Harlev's supervisor, said Mrs. Harlev was incredibly dedicated.
"Beverly was one of the most hard-working. diligent and committed people that I've ever worked with," Thomson said. "She was thorough, always professional and a real student advocate...She just committed herself completely to her work.
As a longtime nurse educator for two Chicago-area hospitals, Beverly Harlev helped mold the standards and shape the careers of thousands of nurses.
But no matter how much she had accomplished in her career, Mrs. Harlev was always eager to take on more challenges. Even after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a decade ago, she refused to slow down or feel sorry for herself, family members and friends said.
In the last few years of her life, Mrs. Harlev was the coordinator of curriculum and accreditation for Ravenswood Hospital's School of Nursing, where she helped lead a major project to introduce an associate's degree program.
"She was a great lady, not famous, but truly great," said her husband of 34 years, Robert. "She told me once,'I don't quit. I'm not a quitter'...So when she was in horrible pain, she still wanted to finish her work at the hospital. She (sometimes) went to work almost in tears with the pain.
Mrs. Harlev,59, who spent 25 years as a nurse educator at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge before joining Ravenswood Hospital in Chicago about 12 years ago, died Thursday of ovarian cancer in her Elk Grove Village home.
A native of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Harlev earned her graduate degree in nursing and educational administration from Northern Illinois University and did most of the course work required for a doctorate.
Mrs. Harlev and her husband also took in several teenage foster children, one of whom they later adopted. Among the foster children was Ali Uzumcu, a high school student from Turkey, who had planned to study in the U.S. for a year until her was inspired by the Harlevs to continue his education here. With the Harlevs' guidance, Uzumcu went on to earn his bachelor's degree in Illinois and is now an engineer for a Chicago company.
Uzumcu said Mrs. Harlev worked an exhausting schedule for years by spending her days at the hospital and her nights studying for her master's degree. Still she was always there as a supporter and friend to her family, took time to make five-course dinners every night and volunteered for an elderly couple in the suburbs who needed help with errands and advice on medical care.
"Remarkable is the way I describe her," Uzumcu said. "Just looking at what she did for other people, there are no words that can describe it. She just never bragged about what she did. She just did this from her heart, and to her it was nothing.
With Mrs. Harlev's help and leadership, Ravenswood Hospital opened a new associate's degree program in January 1988. The program is now in candidacy status with the North Central Assoc. of Higher Education for Regional Accreditation, and the hospital is already awarding degrees.
Phyllis Thomson, executive dean of the program and Mrs. Harlev's supervisor, said Mrs. Harlev was incredibly dedicated.
"Beverly was one of the most hard-working. diligent and committed people that I've ever worked with," Thomson said. "She was thorough, always professional and a real student advocate...She just committed herself completely to her work.
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