Nursing Instructor Roger Reeves ’90 Leaves Bequest to UP, Where He Got His Start

Roger Y. Reeves ’90, a nursing instructor at the University of Colorado who died in 2017, has left a bequest to the University of Portland School of Nursing, where he began his career by obtaining his bachelor of science in nursing degree.

Roger taught nursing informatics, which is designed to improve patient care by sharing information through computer systems and technology. He earned a master’s degree in the field from the University of Utah College of Nursing in 1996 and was also a certified professional in health care information and management systems and a board-certified informatics nurse.

He had taught at the University of Colorado since 2011 and was widely revered by his students and fellow faculty. He also helped with the electronic health records at a nurse-run community clinic in the Denver area. He had previously worked in the nursing informatics field for several businesses and health agencies.

He wrote on his LinkedIn page when he began teaching, “After many years in the industry, I now have the opportunity to share my passion for health care informatics with students.”

Roger was born in Olympia, Washington, and lived most of his life in the Northwest and the Southwest. He was 35 when he returned to school to obtain his nursing degree at the University of Portland. He was preceded in death in 2016 by his wife Brenda (nee Fassel), who was also a nurse and nurse educator and also worked with electronic health records.

Both Brenda and Roger were lovers of the outdoors who raised and showed ThunderPaws Siberian Huskies. As a young woman, Brenda had her own sled dog team, while Roger in his free time could be found camping with his dog by the nearest scenic creek.

The University of Portland School of Nursing is truly grateful for his gift.