CAPT Romaine Mae Mentzer, NC US Navy (Ret.), 98

August 26, 2014

CAPT Romaine Mae Mentzer, NC US Navy (Ret.), 98, died Tuesday, August 26, 2014, at Arbor View at Willow Valley, Lancaster, PA. Born in Ephrata, PA, she was the daughter of the late Harvey and Mary Gassert Mentzer.

She was a graduate of Ephrata High School and the Lancaster General Hospital Nursing School. A member of Bethany United Church of Christ in Ephrata, Romaine was an avid golfer who enjoyed watching the golfing channel. She absolutely loved chocolate ice cream. Romaine became an accomplished painter during retirement and filled her apartment with her work.

After graduating from LGH Nursing School, she applied to the Navy and became an Ensign in the Navy Nurse Corps during WWII. During her 32 years of service in the Navy she enjoyed interesting and challenging assignments, including aboard the Hospital Ship USS Relief in the South Pacific during WWII, and Naval Aid Stations in Santa Barbara, CA, Corpus Christie, TX, and Bermuda. Romaine taught corpsman nursing procedures at San Diego Hospital Corps School. She graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelors of Science in Education. She was assigned to the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery as the detail officer for all active duty Navy Nurses. Romaine was the nursing administrator in large hospitals in Yokosuka, Japan, Oakland, CA, Jacksonville, FL, Philadelphia, PA, St. Albans, NY, and Great lakes, IL. While in San Diego she earned a Masters Degree at San Diego College in Personnel Supervision and Training. She received 8 medals and awards and one retirement certificate of merit from the Surgeon General of the Navy. Romaine served in three wars, WWII, Korea and Vietnam, and retired as a Captain NC USN.

The last of her immediate family, Romaine is survived by several nieces and nephews: Mary Darchuk, Ann Hoke, Joseph Kotzman, John Kotzman, James Kotzman, Kathy Kotzman, Beverly Wood, Mark Kotzman, Lisa Brenneman, Donna Wallace, Peter Weber and Tim Weber; grandnieces, grandnephews and great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews. She was preceded in death by her brothers Russell and Lee Mentzer and her sisters Sara Ann Kotzman and Blanche Lucille Weber.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend Romaine’s Memorial Service on Saturday, September 6, 2014, at 11:00 am in the Johnson Auditorium, 600 Willow Valley Manor North, Lancaster, PA 17602, with Rev. Glenn Creveling officiating. Future Interment with Military Honors will be in Arlington National Cemetery. Please omit flowers. Memorial Contributions may be made to Hospice & Community Care, P.O. Box 4125, Lancaster, PA 17604-4125 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.