Dana Slusher Anfin, 73, died March 19, 2018 after a 20-month battle with pancreatic cancer.

She was born in Radford August 17, 1945.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Hilda Amonette Slusher, and her father, Eugene Cameron Slusher, both of Radford.

She is survived by her husband, John Edward Anfin of Lexington; sons, David Rutledge Whipple and wife, Sara Sepanski Whipple and granddaughter, Marian Mae Whipple and grandson, Elijah James Whipple of Rockbridge Baths, and Robert Mann Whipple and wife, Stephanie Hall Whipple of Brownsburg; sisters, Jane Amonette Slusher of Roanoke, Jennifer Slusher Smart of Roanoke, and Desiree Ann Whiteside of Duluth, Minn.; nieces, Kelly Hayse and Kim Ramsey Hayse of Christiansburg, and Stephanie Whiteside of Duluth, Minn.; stepsons, Erik Walker Anfin and wife, Kylie Burnside Anfin and grandson, Ledger Stark Anfin of Buffalo, N.Y., and Christopher Stark Anfin and wife, Sandy Pirkle Anfin and grandsons, Reece Walker Anfin and Riggs Stark Anfin and granddaughter, Sara Kate Anfin; cousins, Kay Amonette Wright, Bill Amonette, Ben Amonette and Mark Amonette, formerly of Radford, Cathy Harris of Williamsburg, and Debbie Youngs of Norfolk; and numerous other cousins.

Dana attended the McGuffey Elementary Laboratory School at Radford College. Dana was a 1963 graduate of Radford High School, where she was a member of the annual staff, school chorus, Student Council Association, Girls Athletic Association, Girl's State, and Interclub Council. She was indebted to her favorite teacher, Lawrence Heiskell, for encouraging her and other young women to excel in math and science.

She was a member of the Tyler Memorial Presbyterian Church. She was a piano student of Miss Alma Smith. During her grade school and high school piano studies, she was a member of the local chapter of the National Federation of Music Clubs. In their yearly Youth Festival, she received Excellent and Superior ratings in musical achievement. Her final piano recital was a duet with her sister, Jane playing George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue." In addition, she was a dance student of the Sparr Studio. Growing up, she spent many summers going to Girl Scout Camp at Camp Coffee on the Little River, to Camp Massenetta in Harrisonburg. and she loved playing basketball, swimming, and water skiing.

Her nursing career began in high school when she worked as a nurse's aide at Radford Community Hospital during the summers. After high school, she attended Longwood College and majored in pre-nursing. She transferred to the School of Nursing at the University of Virginia to complete her nursing education and proudly received her BSN degree on the steps of her beloved Rotunda in June 1967, before women were admitted to other undergraduate programs at UVa. She briefly worked as an ER nurse at Radford Community Hospital and a pediatric nurse at Rockingham Memorial Hospital in Harrisonburg.

She later taught at Jefferson High School in Roanoke, where she wrote and implemented the program, Health Careers. That program continues as the Health Occupations program in Virginia high schools today. She went on to be a public health nurse in the Roanoke City Health Department and later transferred to the Augusta-Staunton Health Department in Staunton, where she practiced as a generalized public health nurse and district supervisory nurse, which she described as her "best job ever." Later she became a Central Shenandoah District PHN supervisory nurse and assisted in the administration of all nursing programs, particularly Maternal and Child Health, Family Planning, and Mental Aftercare. During the deinstitutionalization movement, she represented the district health departments in community discharge planning meetings at Virginia institutions as patients were being returned to their communities for mental aftercare follow-up. After having a family, Dana attended Mary Baldwin College in Staunton and obtained her teaching certification for grades K-8, but before ever entering the teaching field, she was employed as a staff nurse at Virginia Military Institute Hospital, where she remained for 10 years and applauded the first admission of female Keydets during her tenure there. She then worked briefly in industrial nursing at Burlington Industries in Glasgow, before returning to public health nursing at the Rockbridge-Lexington Health Department. She retired in 2008 after 24 years of service to the state of Virginia.

Mrs. Anfin was a member of the Rockbridge Unitarian-Universalist Fellowship and a former member of New Providence Presbyterian Church in Raphine. She was an intermittent member of the Rockbridge Choral Society. She served on the board of the former Rockbridge Mental Health Clinic and started a classroom volunteer program at Fairfield Elementary School. She was a member of the Lexington Coffee Party and like her husband, John, was distressed by religious and political extremism.

Her hero was Nelson Mandela. She enjoyed her small book club, reading history, oil painting, a silly joke, eating at the Southern Inn, traveling, writing, Facebook, a snowy day, spaghetti, playing beginner's bridge and movies. She was happiest when caring for her grandchildren and being with family, friends, her number one cheerleader and soul mate, John, and Sybil, the cat. She often spoke of sitting beside her father, a former B-17 pilot, watching airplanes come and go through the years at Woodrum Field. Dana never stopped dreaming of being a jet pilot.

A celebration of Dana's life will take place March 24 at 11 a.m. at Heartstone Lodge, 1366 Stuartsburg Road, Buena Vista (540-463-2593). Barney Brown will officiate.

Memorial contributions may be made in her name to the Rockbridge Area Hospice, 315 Myers St., Lexington, VA 24450.

Bolling, Grose & Lotts Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.