Tuohig Family Endowed Nursing Scholarship

Barry and Gail’s partnership began in the early 1970s on Lake Winnepesaukee, NH, where they met and bonded over shared values and educational aspirations. After marriage, Barry earned a degree in computer science, while Gail completed a baccalaureate in nursing. Later, they instilled a passion for learning in their two young daughters. In 1980, the family relocated to Salt Lake City, where Barry took on a role as an IT Project Manager and Gail enjoyed the privilege of working in direct patient care for several years. Barry fully supported her academic and professional growth as Gail went on to achieve a master’s in nursing administration. She took on managerial and administrative positions and found that she enjoyed teaching, mentoring, and helping others to advance in the nursing profession. That eventually led to obtaining a doctorate and teaching at the collegiate level. Then Gail met a Navy recruiter who claimed that she would be able to utilize her clinical skills, leadership skills, and teaching skills while working with nurses, corpsmen, military families and veterans. She was quickly called to serve on a burn trauma unit in Fleet Hospital 15 in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War. That meant that Barry served on the home front taking care of the girls. He assumed all of the household duties including buying groceries, preparing meals, doing laundry, and getting the girls to their sports programs and music lessons on time. As a Navy Captain, Gail was appointed Chief Trauma Nurse in Landstuhl, Germany where she led a team of Navy and civilian nurses caring for wounded military personnel from Iraq and Afghanistan. Throughout her 23 years of military service, Barry played an essential role at home, supporting their daughters and managing household duties, reinforcing the true essence of their “joint operation” marriage-a partnership built on mutual respect, sacrifice, and shared goals.