Gina B. Pugliese, RN, MS

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Gina Pugliese, 70, of St. Joseph, formerly of Chicago, passed away, Monday, March 4, 2019 at her home.

A Celebration of Life gathering will be held from 3 until 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, 2019, at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph. A time of sharing will be held at 5 p.m. In lieu of flowers, Gina asked that you please consider making a contribution to a cause you are passionate about or to the Gina Pugliese scholarship with this link. https://mymembership.force.com/OrderApi__campaign?id=a0jj0000008ChjcAAC&site=a0Uj0000006SrqoEAC (Select “Specific scholarship donation”. Choose “Gina Pugliese scholarship” from dropdown.)
Those wishing to sign Gina’s Memory Book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com.

Gina Pugliese was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 27, 1948 to Eleanor Louise McQuade and Anthony James Pugliese. She grew up on Chicago’s West Side with her younger brother Tony and older sister Mary.

Gina’s vibrant personality, commitment to service and pursuit of her passions was evident from a young age. She was a promising ballet student who received free instruction because of her talent, she sang in the church choir, and she was a member of the girl scouts, the Bicycle Safety club, the Pioneer Girls, and 4-H club. She once went door-to-door to raise money for the American Cancer Society, and collected the largest amount of donations in the Midwest.

Throughout her life, she understood the importance of hard work. She started babysitting at the age of 9, earning money to support her passions and eventually her education, paying her way through grammar school, high school, nursing school and undergraduate and graduate school earning her a Bachelor of Arts from Mundelein College and a Master of Science from Rush University.

Over the years, Gina built a community of friends, family and colleagues who enriched her life and for whom she enriched theirs. Gina was a committed friend, bringing her loved ones together often to celebrate things, big and small. Gina believed in the power and purpose of community, was fiercely inclusive and in her kitchen, hung a sign that said “Until further notice, celebrate everything.”

She was a loving mother and role model to her two daughters, Claudia and Elise, who she raised with the same passion for service, commitment to hard work and values in nurturing loving friendships. The father of Claudia and Elise, Leon Zelechowski was a wonderful partner and their friendship endured throughout Gina’s lifetime.

Gina met the love of her life, Mike Goodrich in 2005, and during their 14 years together, shared a beautiful love story, joining their families and friends and sharing in life’s adventures and small day-to-day moments.

During Gina’s career, she helped shape the practice of infection control, bringing innovation and leadership to the field. She was a prolific writer and educator, sharing her knowledge at more than 300 conferences in 21 countries, publishing over 150 articles and 8 books and as faculty for Rush University College of Nursing and University of Illinois, Public Health. She also served as an associate editor for the American Journal of Infection Control and the Journal of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. Gina sat on numerous national policy committees, providing congressional testimony for regulatory initiatives. Most recently she served as Vice President of the Safety Institute at Premier Healthcare Alliance, an organization with a mission to transform the healthcare sector.

Gina received numerous recognitions and awards for her contributions to her field including Employee of the Year at the American Hospital Association, recognition by the Assistant Secretary of Labor for her work on bloodborne pathogens training for OSHA and the establishment of the Gina Pugliese Scholarship by SHEA (The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America). She also received the Carol De Mille outstanding achievement award from APIC (Association of Professionals in Infection Prevention and Control) and was named by Becker as one of Top 50 Experts in Patient Safety.

Gina was a bright and shining light and anyone who had the fortune to know her, had their life touched in immeasurable ways.

She is survived by her loving husband, Michael Goodrich, sister Mary Lisi, her daughters Claudia Pugliese Zelechowski (Julian Rodriguez), Elise Zelechowski (Tony Bezsylko), and her husband’s children, Kara Goodrich (Michael Whitaker) and son Ryan Goodrich (Raina Koterba), and Leon Zelechowski, loving father of Claudia and Elise.

She is also survived by grandchildren Paloma, Amaya, Kailynn, Hanna and Scott.

She is preceded in death by her mother Eleanor Louise McQuade, her father Anthony J. Pugliese, her brother Anthony Pugliese Jr, her aunt and uncle Connie and Frank Pugliese, cousin Greg Fera, mother-in-law Pola Kuttner Zelechowski, father-in-law Saul Zelechowski and brother-in-law Edmund Zelechowski.

Posted On: Thursday, March 7, 2019 3:29 PM