Dr. Foxall retires from nursing profession

Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., left, dean of the UNMC College of Nursing, presents Dr. Foxall with a Borsheim’s Peggy Carr glass plate during last month’s retirement reception in her honor.

Martha Foxall, Ph.D., has dedicated her life to nursing education.

She will retire today – after the summer class she teaches ends – with a 54-year investment in the nursing profession.

The past 26 years have been in the UNMC College of Nursing, where she has served as professor and chairwoman of the Parent/Child, Administration, Education & Science Department in the UNMC College of Nursing.

Dr. Foxall is a “consummate department chair,” said Virginia Tilden, D.N.Sc., dean of the UNMC College of Nursing. “People would say she’s calm at the helm…no matter what rocky waves there were. She also is the consummate educator. She’s a key coordinator and developer of teaching courses the college offers. She’s really helped developed a wonderful curriculum. As a mentor, she’s done a wonderful job of taking faculty under her wing. Martha is a star in that area. The department chair juggles many, many balls.”

Dr. Foxall’s two sons were among family at the June 7 campus reception in her honor. Pitmon Foxall, an Omaha Police Department deputy chief, and Mark Foxall, Ph.D., a former agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation who continues work in law enforcement, deeply admire their mother.

Martha Foxall, Ph.D., with her sons, Pitmon Foxall, left, and Mark Foxall, Ph.D.

“My mom was instrumental in me getting my Ph.D.,” Dr. Mark Foxall said. “She was my drive in everything I’ve done academically. She is a powerful motivator; she’s very high energy. She taught me to always move forward and believe in yourself and your ability.”

Though both followed in their late father’s footsteps by choosing law enforcement as a career, their mother’s influence has been constant and indelible. Each remembers her sitting in bed surrounded by journals and trips to the library to do research.

Pitmon Foxall said his mother was the academic motivator. “She didn’t accept mediocrity or second best,” he said. “If you brought home As and a B, she wanted to know why you got a B. She was driven. She said no matter what, do your absolute best, whatever it is. She didn’t accept ‘no’ or ‘I can’t.’ ”

It wasn’t hard to tell that Dr. Martha Foxall, valedictorian at Technical High School in Omaha and voted most likely to succeed, would be successful in a career. “Caring for people and helping them feel better was something I always wanted,” she said.

She started in 1952 as a staff nurse at the Immanuel Hospital School of Nursing and moved into teaching maternity nursing from 1953 to 1968. She then served as associate director of nursing education until 1975 when she accepted a position at Midland Lutheran College in Fremont as associate director of the division of nursing.

She served at Midland Lutheran College until 1980 when she joined the UNMC College of Nursing as an associate professor.

Dr. Foxall had planned to retire when she reached retirement age, but that changed when her husband of 46 years died. Pitmon Foxall Sr. was an Omaha police officer and later served as public safety director. “Working helped me through the adjustment, and I liked what I was doing,” she said. “The university is a good place to be. I do like the challenges. Every day there’s something new.”

Dr. Foxall’s biggest challenges came as she took on new roles as teacher, curriculum director, researcher and department chairwoman. “I hope I’ve been a successful chairperson and the responsibilities that have gone along with it – teaching and scholarly activity.”

Family members join Dr. Foxall at her campus retirement reception.

As an educator, she believes there’s always something to be learned. “If you shut your mind off, I think you’re really hurting yourself,” she said. “You can learn from others. All you have to do is listen.

“The faculty and staff I’ve worked with have taught me a lot. They step up to the plate and do what needs to be done and I can’t say enough about them. They keep you on schedule.”

She plans to fill her retirement with trips, friends and grandchildren, volunteer work, leisure reading, church work and the arts. She’s always liked gerontology and plans to spend time visiting the elderly in nursing homes.

And if that isn’t enough, she’ll continue to work on manuscripts and do consulting work.
“I like to shop but you can’t do that for the rest of your life,” Dr. Foxall said. “You have to have a purpose in life…a purpose to get up in the morning or you die on the vine.”