Pensacola, FL - On December 20th, Erin Elizabeth Bowers went Home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ after a two and a half year battle with cancer.Erin was born the middle child of five children born to Carl R. and Simone E. Soderquist in Watertown, NY on May 18, 1958. Having known at a tender age of three that her calling was to be a nurse, she graduated from Watertown High School in 1976, and then pursued an education for that call at St. Elizabeth's School of Nursing and graduated in 1979. Her first position was to serve at Mercy Hospital, Watertown NY until 1980 after which she entered into Naval Officer School, Newport, RI. Her first assignment was at the Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD. She went on to serve at hospitals in Newport RI, Okinawa Japan, Memphis TN, Guantanamo Bay Cuba and finally Pensacola Fl. Commander Soderquist received the following decorations while serving her country; Navy Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corp Achievement Medal, Joint Humanitarian Service Medal and National Defense Medal. She retired after 20 years of faithful, loyal, and dedicated active service.
After her retirement from the United States Navy, Erin joined Sacred Heart Hospital and continued her employment there up until her medical disability in 2015. Erin always relished the opportunity to improve herself and placed a very high value on education. She had 36 years of nursing experience with 15 years in the specialty of palliative care. She received a Bachelor of Nursing degree from the University of Memphis and a Master of Public Administration from Troy State University. She was a Certified Hospice Palliative Care Nurse as well as a Nationally Certified Bereavement Facilitator-Advanced Level and Certified Advance Care Planner. In addition, Erin was certified in Thanatology by the American Academy of Death and Dying Education.
Erin graduated from the Harvard Palliative Care Education Scholarship Program in 2005. In 2011, she graduated with honors with a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus in palliative care. She also completed a certificate in Adult-Geriatric Nurse Practitioner from the George Washington University, Washington, D.C. and was certified with the American Assoc. of Nurse Practitioners. She earned her Advanced Certification in Hospice and Palliative Nursing in 2014. She was the humble and grateful winner of the Servant Leader Award from Sacred Heart Hospital in 2010. Her greatest career achievement was becoming a Palliative Nurse Practitioner.
Erin met her husband, Jim, at the Blue Lake Emmaus Walk in July of 2000 and they were married on March 31, 2001. Jesus Christ became the center piece of their life. Both she and Jim were loving caregivers in their home for Jim's father and Erin's grandmother for three years. Jim passed away on September 7, 2017. Erin's caring and compassion for others was manifested both in her church life and in her professional life. She has been recognized for her pioneering work in palliative care in the West Florida community.
She is survived by two step-daughters, Allison (Chad Mims) and April (Bowers) Young; four step-grandsons, her four siblings Nena (Jimmy Crouch), Susan (Larry Meyer), John (Amy) Soderquist and
David (Margaret) Soderquist, three nieces and two nephews, five great-nieces and nephews all of Watertown, NY, Uncle Jack and Aunt Ann Rouchaud of White Plains, NY, two cousins, Christine Soderquist, Massachusetts, and Jan Soderquist, Florida, and her beloved cat, Gracie.
A Celebration of Everlasting Life will be held December 30, 2017 at 2:00 pm with Dr. Lonny Hughes, Senior Pastor officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to service, 1:00 pm at Perdido Bay Baptist Church, 12600 Sorrento Road, Pensacola, FL 32507.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests a memorial donation to Perdido Bay Baptist Church. The phone number is 850-492-2604.
The family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to Perdido Bay Baptist Church, friends from Blue Lake Emmaus, Covenant Care Hospice, Dr. Katherine Price, Internist, Dr. Juan Iregui, Palliative Care Physician, Tacoma, Washington, Dr. Thomas Sunnenberg, Oncologist, Sacred Heart Hospital and his staff.
To Erin's numerous friends and colleagues - your endless love, compassion and abundant acts of kindness will never be forgotten. God Bless You.
Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel has been entrusted with the funeral arrangements.