Nell Stinson was not famous. She never really did anything that brought her public accolades. In fact, she shied away from the limelight. She was much more comfortable in the background applauding the accomplishments of others.

“And Nell would be astounded if she were standing here today seeing this,” said Jeff Johnson, Troy Regional Medical Center pharmacist.

Johnson was speaking Monday of a “remembrance” quilt on display honoring the life, service and commitment to care of Nell Stinson, an LPN at Troy Regional Medical Center for nearly 30 years.

Stinson was not famous in the broad sense of the word but she was widely known and loved for the little things that she was “forever doing for others.”

“When Nell died in April 2012, a lot of people lost their best friend,” said Johnson who worked closely with Stinson for six years in the TRMC pharmacy. “Nell had the ability to get close to people. She really cared about people and they felt close to her. Everybody who knew her would say that she was a close friend of theirs.”

Johnson said not long after Stinson’s death her husband, Mike Stinson, approached him with the idea of having a quilt made from scraps of old scrubs worn by her many friends at TRMC.

“The quilt would be a way for Nell’s friends to remember her and how much we all cared for her,” he said.

Nell Stinson’s friends brought old scrubs for the squares for the quilt. Mike Stinson came to the hospital and collected them.

“But, we didn’t hear from Mike for months and months so I was surprised when he walked in the pharmacy last week with the quilt,” Johnson said. “It is a wonderful way to honor the memory of our friend. Each square represents someone here at TRMC whose life was impacted by Nell’s caring spirit.”

Johnson said Stinson considered the things she did for others so small as to be unnoticed.

“But they were not missed,” he said. “Nell loved people and she cared about them and for them. She didn’t want any credit for what she did for others. She didn’t want any awards or any recognition. She loved this hospital and she was a devoted employee.”

Johnson said Stinson could size a person up in short time.

“She was not judgmental but she recognized the good in people and she migrated to them,” he said.

Stinson worked at TRMC as a pharmacy tech and she was committed to her job.

“Nell was in charge of keeping the ER and surgery stocked,” Johnson said, laughing. “Sometimes, we didn’t have enough stock in the pharmacy because Nell had hauled it off to ER or surgery. She was very efficient.”

When Stinson became seriously sick, she handled her illness like a champ and her friends rallied around her.

Stinson was a fighter and she fought bravely for her husband, her daughter, Jennifer Barron, and her granddaughter, Olivia.

“Nell had such a positive impact on those of us here at the hospital that we wanted to be there for her during her illness,” Johnson said. “We had seen the concern she showed for others and we wanted to show her that same concern.”

Johnson said arrangements were made so that Stinson could remain at TRMC so she could be among friends who could help care for her needs.

“The love and concern that was shown to Nell helped her feel at home,” Johnson said. “It was an honor for her friends to help care for her the last few weeks of her life. It was a tribute to the hospital for her to be here among friends and a testament to the impact she had on so many lives as an employee at TRMC.”

Johnson said he would never forget Stinson saying with a smile, “Another day with my wonderful friends.”

“She impacted the lives of so many people,” he said. “We were blessed to have been her friends.”