LINK, EVA BORDENCA, age 84, of Birmingham, passed away November 4, 2005. She was a graduate of Woodlawn High School and St. Vincent School of Nursing. Eva was in the Army Aircorps where she served as a Flight Nurse during WWII. She was a supervisor of nursery at St. Vincent's Hospital, head nurse of Hill Heart Suite, O.R. Nurse at U.A.B. She was a member of Woodlawn Hall of Fame and decorated by the Brazilian Government during WWII. She was an artist and a poet. She is preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Anna Bordenca and brother, Dr. Carl Bordenca. She is survived by her son, Jim (Judy) Link; grandchildren, James, Zachary, Lisa (Kenneth) and Christy; great grandchildren, Katie, Jordan, Jessica, Chad and Logan; brothers, Rev. Charles Bordenca and Vincent Bordenca; sister, Lucile Consola; cousin, Vivian Dattoli Fuqua; and many nieces and nephews. Funeral Services will be held Tuesday, November 8, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes, with burial following in Elmwood Cemetery. Father Andrew Kennedy officiating. Visitation will be held Monday from 5:00-7:00 p.m. with Rosary at 7:00 p.m.
On a wing and a prayer Sunday, April 30, 2006 Jeff Hansen Birmingham News staff writer
A sick brother pointed Eva Bordenca Link to her life's work. As a boy during the Depression, Vincent Bordenca developed a bone infection called osteomyelitis. This sometimes-fatal illness often left severe disabilities in that era before antibiotics, and Vincent faced his crisis at St. Vincent's Hospital. "Eva was over there so much," said her younger sister, Lucile Consola. "She saw the need. She saw the love." So much that Eva would study nursing at St. Vincent's after her 1939 Woodlawn High School graduation.
Eva's father had worked in the coal mines. After he was injured at work, Charles Bordenca and his wife, Anna, ran the East Birmingham Quality Grocery. Each day after school, the girls had to dig into 100-pound bags of food to help stock the shelves. "We made 5-cent packages of sugar," Lucile said. "We made 5-cent packages of rice. We made 5- and 10-cent packages of beans. That was our work." Cathy Gullo, a friend of Eva's later in life, said, "Eva told me she didn't eat chicken because the family had chickens, and if someone needed one, they'd kill it in the store."
Eva joined the Army after nursing school and became a flight nurse in June 1943. She was one of 500 flight nurses who helped air evacuate 1.1 million wounded or sick patients during World War II. She flew on part of the North Africa-Senegal-Brazil-Florida route. Typically on a flight, one nurse and one medical corpsman cared for 25 patients. When Lucile was married on May 15, 1944, her older sister Eva was her maid of honor but wore her Army uniform - as required by regulations.
Eva was short, with dark hair and dark eyes. Her voice was precise, yet she spoke with compassion.
She helped deliver babies at St. Vincent's for a time after the war, but after 1959 she was chief nurse at the Lister Hill Heart Suite, a pioneering heart surgery unit at what is now University Hospital. Each day, she made the operating room ready for surgery, with the sterilized instruments laid out in order. She was able to handle the different demands of surgeons such as Champ Lyons and Sterling Edwards. "She was organized, a disciplinarian," said Dr. Bill Holdefer, who did his surgical training there and became a friend of Eva's family. "She did not take kindly to slackards."
But she loved to care for stray cats and dogs. "One of our dogs, Ginger, a basset-beagle mix, was from her batch of dogs," Holdefer said. One of Eva's close friends was Mildred Smeraglia, who used to own the restaurant VJ's on the Runway. "They were best friends," said Cathy Gullo, Mildred's daughter. "They would talk about Italian cooking." When Mildred got her diagnosis of colon cancer, Eva was with Mildred. She continued her support throughout the long, finally fatal illness. Then she helped Mildred's daughter. "She told me," Cathy said, "`She has lived her life. Now it's time to live your life.'" Another friend was Mary Moore, who had been a radiology darkroom technician on the sixth floor of University Hospital when Eva ran the operating room on the seventh floor. They became close when they found themselves living in the same neighborhood near East Lake Park in 1984. "I've got yellow roses and petunias that came from her garden," Mary said.
As Eva grew older, the younger Mary would take her to the bank, to the store, to Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes. Mary said Eva taught her about the Catholic Church. "She taught me to say the Hail Mary: 'Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women ...'" Eva's faith still influences Mary, even after Eva's death on Nov. 4, 2005, at age 84. "I still say the Hail Mary every day," said Mary. "And I'm Baptist!"
On a wing and a prayer Sunday, April 30, 2006 Jeff Hansen Birmingham News staff writer
A sick brother pointed Eva Bordenca Link to her life's work. As a boy during the Depression, Vincent Bordenca developed a bone infection called osteomyelitis. This sometimes-fatal illness often left severe disabilities in that era before antibiotics, and Vincent faced his crisis at St. Vincent's Hospital. "Eva was over there so much," said her younger sister, Lucile Consola. "She saw the need. She saw the love." So much that Eva would study nursing at St. Vincent's after her 1939 Woodlawn High School graduation.
Eva's father had worked in the coal mines. After he was injured at work, Charles Bordenca and his wife, Anna, ran the East Birmingham Quality Grocery. Each day after school, the girls had to dig into 100-pound bags of food to help stock the shelves. "We made 5-cent packages of sugar," Lucile said. "We made 5-cent packages of rice. We made 5- and 10-cent packages of beans. That was our work." Cathy Gullo, a friend of Eva's later in life, said, "Eva told me she didn't eat chicken because the family had chickens, and if someone needed one, they'd kill it in the store."
Eva joined the Army after nursing school and became a flight nurse in June 1943. She was one of 500 flight nurses who helped air evacuate 1.1 million wounded or sick patients during World War II. She flew on part of the North Africa-Senegal-Brazil-Florida route. Typically on a flight, one nurse and one medical corpsman cared for 25 patients. When Lucile was married on May 15, 1944, her older sister Eva was her maid of honor but wore her Army uniform - as required by regulations.
Eva was short, with dark hair and dark eyes. Her voice was precise, yet she spoke with compassion.
She helped deliver babies at St. Vincent's for a time after the war, but after 1959 she was chief nurse at the Lister Hill Heart Suite, a pioneering heart surgery unit at what is now University Hospital. Each day, she made the operating room ready for surgery, with the sterilized instruments laid out in order. She was able to handle the different demands of surgeons such as Champ Lyons and Sterling Edwards. "She was organized, a disciplinarian," said Dr. Bill Holdefer, who did his surgical training there and became a friend of Eva's family. "She did not take kindly to slackards."
But she loved to care for stray cats and dogs. "One of our dogs, Ginger, a basset-beagle mix, was from her batch of dogs," Holdefer said. One of Eva's close friends was Mildred Smeraglia, who used to own the restaurant VJ's on the Runway. "They were best friends," said Cathy Gullo, Mildred's daughter. "They would talk about Italian cooking." When Mildred got her diagnosis of colon cancer, Eva was with Mildred. She continued her support throughout the long, finally fatal illness. Then she helped Mildred's daughter. "She told me," Cathy said, "`She has lived her life. Now it's time to live your life.'" Another friend was Mary Moore, who had been a radiology darkroom technician on the sixth floor of University Hospital when Eva ran the operating room on the seventh floor. They became close when they found themselves living in the same neighborhood near East Lake Park in 1984. "I've got yellow roses and petunias that came from her garden," Mary said.
As Eva grew older, the younger Mary would take her to the bank, to the store, to Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes. Mary said Eva taught her about the Catholic Church. "She taught me to say the Hail Mary: 'Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women ...'" Eva's faith still influences Mary, even after Eva's death on Nov. 4, 2005, at age 84. "I still say the Hail Mary every day," said Mary. "And I'm Baptist!"
LINK, EVA BORDENCA, age 84, of Birmingham, passed away November 4, 2005. She was a graduate of Woodlawn High School and St. Vincent School of Nursing. Eva was in the Army Aircorps where she served as a Flight Nurse during WWII. She was a supervisor of nursery at St. Vincent's Hospital, head nurse of Hill Heart Suite, O.R. Nurse at U.A.B. She was a member of Woodlawn Hall of Fame and decorated by the Brazilian Government during WWII. She was an artist and a poet. She is preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Anna Bordenca and brother, Dr. Carl Bordenca. She is survived by her son, Jim (Judy) Link; grandchildren, James, Zachary, Lisa (Kenneth) and Christy; great grandchildren, Katie, Jordan, Jessica, Chad and Logan; brothers, Rev. Charles Bordenca and Vincent Bordenca; sister, Lucile Consola; cousin, Vivian Dattoli Fuqua; and many nieces and nephews. Funeral Services will be held Tuesday, November 8, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. at Our Lady of Lourdes, with burial following in Elmwood Cemetery. Father Andrew Kennedy officiating. Visitation will be held Monday from 5:00-7:00 p.m. with Rosary at 7:00 p.m.
On a wing and a prayer Sunday, April 30, 2006 Jeff Hansen Birmingham News staff writer
A sick brother pointed Eva Bordenca Link to her life's work. As a boy during the Depression, Vincent Bordenca developed a bone infection called osteomyelitis. This sometimes-fatal illness often left severe disabilities in that era before antibiotics, and Vincent faced his crisis at St. Vincent's Hospital. "Eva was over there so much," said her younger sister, Lucile Consola. "She saw the need. She saw the love." So much that Eva would study nursing at St. Vincent's after her 1939 Woodlawn High School graduation.
Eva's father had worked in the coal mines. After he was injured at work, Charles Bordenca and his wife, Anna, ran the East Birmingham Quality Grocery. Each day after school, the girls had to dig into 100-pound bags of food to help stock the shelves. "We made 5-cent packages of sugar," Lucile said. "We made 5-cent packages of rice. We made 5- and 10-cent packages of beans. That was our work." Cathy Gullo, a friend of Eva's later in life, said, "Eva told me she didn't eat chicken because the family had chickens, and if someone needed one, they'd kill it in the store."
Eva joined the Army after nursing school and became a flight nurse in June 1943. She was one of 500 flight nurses who helped air evacuate 1.1 million wounded or sick patients during World War II. She flew on part of the North Africa-Senegal-Brazil-Florida route. Typically on a flight, one nurse and one medical corpsman cared for 25 patients. When Lucile was married on May 15, 1944, her older sister Eva was her maid of honor but wore her Army uniform - as required by regulations.
Eva was short, with dark hair and dark eyes. Her voice was precise, yet she spoke with compassion.
She helped deliver babies at St. Vincent's for a time after the war, but after 1959 she was chief nurse at the Lister Hill Heart Suite, a pioneering heart surgery unit at what is now University Hospital. Each day, she made the operating room ready for surgery, with the sterilized instruments laid out in order. She was able to handle the different demands of surgeons such as Champ Lyons and Sterling Edwards. "She was organized, a disciplinarian," said Dr. Bill Holdefer, who did his surgical training there and became a friend of Eva's family. "She did not take kindly to slackards."
But she loved to care for stray cats and dogs. "One of our dogs, Ginger, a basset-beagle mix, was from her batch of dogs," Holdefer said. One of Eva's close friends was Mildred Smeraglia, who used to own the restaurant VJ's on the Runway. "They were best friends," said Cathy Gullo, Mildred's daughter. "They would talk about Italian cooking." When Mildred got her diagnosis of colon cancer, Eva was with Mildred. She continued her support throughout the long, finally fatal illness. Then she helped Mildred's daughter. "She told me," Cathy said, "`She has lived her life. Now it's time to live your life.'" Another friend was Mary Moore, who had been a radiology darkroom technician on the sixth floor of University Hospital when Eva ran the operating room on the seventh floor. They became close when they found themselves living in the same neighborhood near East Lake Park in 1984. "I've got yellow roses and petunias that came from her garden," Mary said.
As Eva grew older, the younger Mary would take her to the bank, to the store, to Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes. Mary said Eva taught her about the Catholic Church. "She taught me to say the Hail Mary: 'Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women ...'" Eva's faith still influences Mary, even after Eva's death on Nov. 4, 2005, at age 84. "I still say the Hail Mary every day," said Mary. "And I'm Baptist!"
On a wing and a prayer Sunday, April 30, 2006 Jeff Hansen Birmingham News staff writer
A sick brother pointed Eva Bordenca Link to her life's work. As a boy during the Depression, Vincent Bordenca developed a bone infection called osteomyelitis. This sometimes-fatal illness often left severe disabilities in that era before antibiotics, and Vincent faced his crisis at St. Vincent's Hospital. "Eva was over there so much," said her younger sister, Lucile Consola. "She saw the need. She saw the love." So much that Eva would study nursing at St. Vincent's after her 1939 Woodlawn High School graduation.
Eva's father had worked in the coal mines. After he was injured at work, Charles Bordenca and his wife, Anna, ran the East Birmingham Quality Grocery. Each day after school, the girls had to dig into 100-pound bags of food to help stock the shelves. "We made 5-cent packages of sugar," Lucile said. "We made 5-cent packages of rice. We made 5- and 10-cent packages of beans. That was our work." Cathy Gullo, a friend of Eva's later in life, said, "Eva told me she didn't eat chicken because the family had chickens, and if someone needed one, they'd kill it in the store."
Eva joined the Army after nursing school and became a flight nurse in June 1943. She was one of 500 flight nurses who helped air evacuate 1.1 million wounded or sick patients during World War II. She flew on part of the North Africa-Senegal-Brazil-Florida route. Typically on a flight, one nurse and one medical corpsman cared for 25 patients. When Lucile was married on May 15, 1944, her older sister Eva was her maid of honor but wore her Army uniform - as required by regulations.
Eva was short, with dark hair and dark eyes. Her voice was precise, yet she spoke with compassion.
She helped deliver babies at St. Vincent's for a time after the war, but after 1959 she was chief nurse at the Lister Hill Heart Suite, a pioneering heart surgery unit at what is now University Hospital. Each day, she made the operating room ready for surgery, with the sterilized instruments laid out in order. She was able to handle the different demands of surgeons such as Champ Lyons and Sterling Edwards. "She was organized, a disciplinarian," said Dr. Bill Holdefer, who did his surgical training there and became a friend of Eva's family. "She did not take kindly to slackards."
But she loved to care for stray cats and dogs. "One of our dogs, Ginger, a basset-beagle mix, was from her batch of dogs," Holdefer said. One of Eva's close friends was Mildred Smeraglia, who used to own the restaurant VJ's on the Runway. "They were best friends," said Cathy Gullo, Mildred's daughter. "They would talk about Italian cooking." When Mildred got her diagnosis of colon cancer, Eva was with Mildred. She continued her support throughout the long, finally fatal illness. Then she helped Mildred's daughter. "She told me," Cathy said, "`She has lived her life. Now it's time to live your life.'" Another friend was Mary Moore, who had been a radiology darkroom technician on the sixth floor of University Hospital when Eva ran the operating room on the seventh floor. They became close when they found themselves living in the same neighborhood near East Lake Park in 1984. "I've got yellow roses and petunias that came from her garden," Mary said.
As Eva grew older, the younger Mary would take her to the bank, to the store, to Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes. Mary said Eva taught her about the Catholic Church. "She taught me to say the Hail Mary: 'Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women ...'" Eva's faith still influences Mary, even after Eva's death on Nov. 4, 2005, at age 84. "I still say the Hail Mary every day," said Mary. "And I'm Baptist!"
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