Elizabeth Loux Kraybill, R.N., NHS, Nursing Scholarship
Elizabeth Ann Loux Kraybill, of Harleysville, PA, was born in Sellersville, PA, but lived in Providence, RI, during her first three years, after which her family returned to PA. She had warm memories of growing up on her family farm in Souderton, PA, riding horses, playing in the barn, ice skating on the pond, and picnics. Elizabeth married Don Kraybill on the Loux farm on 12/18/1971 and lived there from 1998 to 2005 to fulfill her dream of maintaining the family land and legacy. She was a member of Salford Mennonite Church.
Elizabeth graduated from Goshen College with a BS in Nursing in 1971. During her first year, she interrupted her college education to take care of her mother in PA, who was recovering from a brain aneurysm. Elizabeth’s career as a Nurse was partly influenced by her father Norman L Loux, MD, founder of one of the first Community Mental Health Centers in the United States in the 1950’s, and his subsequent involvement in psychiatry and community mental health.
As a first clinical position, Elizabeth worked in Student Health at California State University-Fresno. She then attended graduate school at the University of California-Davis, completing a Master of Health Services degree in 1977. She became a Nurse Practitioner when this specialty was first established as a discipline. As part of the faculty at the University of California Davis School of Medicine, she was instrumental in teaching family physicians how to work with Nurse Practitioners along with Physician Assistants.
After spending a decade in California, Don and Elizabeth returned to Pennsylvania in 1982 to be closer to their extended families. Elizabeth was employed in women’s healthcare settings until making an intentional career decision to focus on parenting. Being a mom was clearly her highest priority and deepest love. This passion was then eagerly expanded to grandchildren.
In addition to parenting her three children, Elizabeth was the Office Manager for the Centre for Family Consultation for decades, which was Don’s private practice as a psychologist. Many patients found her to be an invaluable support to them. Elizabeth would invariably strike up a conversation with anyone near her, quickly befriending and making lasting connections with someone sitting next to her on an airplane, waiting in line, or any other chance encounter. In addition to passionately nurturing friendships, Elizabeth also loved caring for various pets. She had a wide range of interests, which included finding profound joy in reading, gardening, cooking, baking, dancing, playing the piano, and traveling to new places e.g., Greece, France, Italy, Zambia, Thailand, and Mexico.
Even with the insidious progression of Parkinson’s disease, Elizabeth was quietly heroic in her considerable suffering. She was quick to crack a witty joke, and consistently confronted most challenges with strong-willed tenacity, humor, and optimism. She could be feisty, mischievous, and irreverent at times, but always thoughtful and tender. Elizabeth was, in fact, a true romantic at heart. Though she was gone at 74 years old, the warmth and light she brought to everyone in her sphere of influence remain with us.