Cornelia Arlene Borden

My wife, Cornelia Arlene (Ercolani) Borden, RN, "Connie" passed Wednesday at noon, September 29, 2021, after a long and hard-fought battle with Alzheimer's Disease.  Connie was a native of Warren, PA, graduating from Warren High School in 1959.  As many a young person has done, she came to Boston for an education and found her vocation, nursing.  She received her training and certification from McClain Hospital School of Nursing in 1965, and began her career in Metro Boston working as a private surgical scrub nurse for an orthopedic surgeon.  Opting for a less strenuous and stressful career, she found her real passion; helping rehabilitate people with substance abuse problems.  She worked in that field as charge nurse and nurse manager in several Northshore hospitals, and as The SARS Nurse  for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.  Along the way she found time to get married and raise a family.

She was the mother of two daughters, Natalie L Borden and her husband Lt. Col. David Shannon of Georgetown and Kimberly E Dunn and her husband Geoffrey of Hyannis. She was the grandmother of Benjamin D. Shannon and Samuel Dunn.

Connie loved New England, particularly the seacoast, and has resided in Marblehead since 1984.  She was a fixture; regularly walking and exercising her miniature dachshunds around town twice daily in all weather,  passing the time and pleasantries with other dog lovers.  She and her pups are missed.

Starting from the time of her training, Connie felt a special need for advancing the state of medical knowledge.  She was an active participant in the Framingham Nurses Heart Health Study, which established treatment protocols.  As the study progressed, it spun off to other age appropriate studies in which Connie had also participated.  Her last involvement was with the aging and memory studies being done by MGH and Harvard Medical School.  Their focus is on dementia and Alzheimer's.  Connie  continued to support that effort in the hope that better understanding will lead to advances, and this horrible disease will be ultimately conquered.

A Memorial Service for Connie will be held Saturday, October 16th at 11:00 A.M. in Grace Community Church, 17 Pleasant St., Marblehead. Relatives and friends invited. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Alzheimer's Association.

Be Well !

Dave Borden