One of Warwick’s oldest residents was the center of attention Set. 26 for a lifetime of work and service in a first-of-its kind ceremony for former nurses in Rhode Island.

Rosalee Malaby, 103, along with fellow Halcyon West Bay Assisted Living residents Maryellen Kline, Carole Emmett, Julia Howarth and Shirley Bettencourt, were honored by the RI National Nurses Honor Guard for their work and service in the nursing field.

Malaby served as a nurse in World War II, spending 15 months in the Philippines and Japan. Helping out soldiers putting their lives on the line, she told those at Halcyon, was a one-of-a-kind experience.

“It wasn't like anything I'd ever done before,” Malaby said. “It was kind of just do what you're told because you didn't know what was happening. Seeing airplanes shot out of the air and knowing there were people in them was hard.”

Eleven nurses from the Rhode Island Nurse’s Honor Guard came to Halcyon to honor the five residents, along with Mayor Frank Picozzi. The Honor Guard is one of 48 branches of the National Nurse’s Honor Guard, and consists of registered nurses who volunteer to honor nurses for their service, similar to a military tribute.

The nurses noted that the work of the five honorees helped thousands of people during critical moments in their lives.

“We remember your almost 280 [combined] years of nursing and the difference you’ve made by stepping into people’s lives at special moments,” honor guard member Danise Davis said. “When a calming, quiet presence was all that was needed in the excitement and miracle of birth, or in the mystery of loss of life, when a silent glance could uplift a patient, family member or friend. You were there at the time the unexplainable needed to be explained; when the situation demanded a swift foot and a sharp mind, you were there; when a gentle touch, a firm push or an encouraging word was needed, you were there.”

After the war, Malaby worked at Denver Children’s Hospital before eventually moving to Warwick. She’s been at Halcyon since 2011.

While it was a milestone for those honored, it also marked a major moment for the R.I. Nurse’s Honor Guard- it was their first ceremony honoring those living..

The Rhode Island chapter, honor guard member Mary French explained, was only established on June 1, and has since given eulogies and honors at wakes and funerals for former nurses. French heard about Malaby from a relative working at Halcyon, and decided to honor her.

Their first “living tribute,” French said, was a resounding success.

“It was great being here,” French said. “We’re looking forward to doing more.”

For those at West Bay, the occasion was just as special. Following the ceremony, one resident- Nancy Mowry- read a poem that she had written about nurses in 1992.

“From midnight hours so black and cold, you took us tenderly into your fold,” Mowry said. “The knowledge and comfort you freely gave brought healing to the lives you sought to save.”

Halcyon Life Enrichment Director Johanna Schiffer is pleased that the five Halcyon residents got to see how much they and their work is appreciated.

“I’m really grateful that they chose us to be their first,” Schiffer said.