Reidun Evelyn Asheim

Reidun Evelyn Asheim was born April 15, 1944 in Stavanger, Norway to Hans Trygve and Aslaug Magdalene Asheim. Reidun was an excellent student, while at Tyrifjord Adventist Academy (TAA), which is located alongside Norways 5thlargest lake 25 miles Northwest of Oslo, she decided she would become a nurse.
Later she informed TAAs principal (her father) that she would not become just any nurse, but a surgical nurse. Upon graduation from TAA she applied and was accepted to the Red Cross Nursing School in Tnsberg, Norway. After graduation (1965) and serving the required internship year at Tnsberg Regional Hospital, she applied and was accepted for advanced training in surgical nursing in Oslo (1966).
The ink had hardly dried on her advanced degree diploma, when she announced to her family that she had been accepted as a surgical nurse at Loma Linda University Medical Center (LLUMC), Loma Linda, California. She was part of the surgical heart team from the very beginning of the Overseas Cardiac Surgery Team. Rooming with Dr. Joan Coggin as the team introduced Cardiac Surgery to Saudi Arabia, and several other countries including Greece, Egypt, Zimbabwe, and Vietnam. One of her treasured memories was the night she assisted Dr. Leonard Bailey as part of his team with the historic Baby Faye baboon heart transplant in 1984.
Reidun served as a surgical nurse on LLUMCs heart team for the next forty years. She never married. Bought a home in Redlands, California and served LLUMC and Loma Linda University Church with her whole heart and soul until she retired in 2009.
In retirement, Reidun traveled, cared for her garden, watched mysteries like Perry Mason, and visited family, friends, and her nursing class mates in Norway.
Reidun was diagnosed with Metastatic Pancreatic Cancer in February of this year. She passed away peacefully in Loma Linda on September 19th. She is survived by two sisters: Karin-May (Asheim) Amundsen and Elisabeth (Asheim) Larsen, and two nephews: Leiv-H and Michael Asheim.
She will be laid to rest with her parents at the Moss Cemetery, Moss, Norway.
Donations can be given to the Loma Linda University Churchs Music Program (LLUC.org)