Doris G Nuttelman

Doris G. Nuttelman, daughter of the late Ernest and Ruth (Tetro) Graves of Williamsburg, MA, died August 8, 2024, at Cooley Dickenson Hospital in Northampton, Massachusetts following a brief illness.

Dr. Nuttelman graduated from the former Helen E. James High School, and the Lynn Hospital School of Nursing and Mercy Hospital School of Anesthesia. She received degrees from Holyoke Community College and Springfield College. She also received two master degrees from the University of MA (1971/1973), and a doctorate from Vanderbilt University (1989).

Dr. Nuttelman’s commitment and passion to nursing and public health was evident in her impressive career. She was employed by several hospitals, medical centers, and colleges. As a nurse educator, she founded baccalaureate nursing programs at American International College, and Colby-Sawyer College. She was a published author and national speaker on nursing and nursing education

In 1954, Dr. Nuttelman was recruited by the ARC to work on the poliomyelitis epidemic in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1972, she reviewed medical and anesthesia practices in Russia. During the summers of 1983 and 1984, she served as a curricular consultant for the South African Nurse Educators’ Association. As the New Hampshire Board of Nursing’s executive director, Dr. Nuttelman was instrumental in obtaining prescriptive privileges for nurse practitioners in one of the first states to grant such privileges. As a CLEAR investigator, she was the Board’s investigator / prosecutor for disciplinary hearings.

Dr. Nuttelman was a member of the ANA, the MA and NH Nurses Associations, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, and the nursing honor society, Sigma Theta Tau. She received a New Hampshire gubernatorial award for her work with families and children, the Red Feather Award from the YMCA, and the Distinguished Alumni Award from Holyoke Community College. She also was honored by the New Hampshire Nurses Association as a “Living Legend in New Hampshire Nursing.” 

 During retirement, she became a Master Gardener, a member of the New London Garden Club, and a volunteer at New London Hospital, the First Baptist Church, and Tracy Memorial Library. She was active in founding At Home, a resource and referral service for seniors living at home, and a Retired Nurse Group focused on healthy living during the aging process. In addition, she helped start a salon focused on current events and community activities. She was an avid reader, swimmer, kayaker, political enthusiast, and ardent walker.

Dr. Nuttelman was predeceased by her husband, David A. Nuttelman, and her sister, Clarice G. Dymerski. She is survived by her daughter Melissa Nuttelman of Florence, MA, and son Seth Nuttelman and his wife Lisa Bartlett of Southampton, MA. 

A gathering will take place Saturday, August 31, 2024, between 3:00 – 7:00 pm at the Florence Civic Center, Florence, MA 

Remembrances may be sent to Friends of the Westhampton Public Library, 1 North Rd, Westhampton, MA 01027. 

 The family wishes to express many thanks to the Cooley Dickinson Hospital staff for their care and compassion. It was especially meaningful as nursing and medical facilities were so integral to her life.