Mary Powers
Mary Powers and her classmate Les.
Mary Powers (left) and her classmate Les (right)

Curative Connections member, Mary Powers, recently shared her inspiring family story at our 75th Anniversary Celebration on July 12. Mary’s late brother-in-law, David Hall, spent years rehabilitating at Curative after a car accident left him paralyzed in the 1950s. David was instrumental to our history by helping develop the Curative Workshop which gained national attention. David was a powerful advocate for people with disabilities and in 1963, he was named “Handicapped Man of the Year” by President John F. Kennedy for his accomplishments as an individual with a disability.  

Mary has many fond memories of David, his tenacious and positive attitude, his gratitude for Curative, and his passion to live his best life. Because of David, she was always appreciative and grateful for the services we provided. Unknown at the time, she never anticipated needing these valuable resources down the road. 

Mary has also led a life centered around helping others. After graduating high school, she joined the Army as a nurse and was soon deployed to Vietnam. After leaving the Army, Mary joined the Air Force as a flight nurse. In this role, she treated POWs and soldiers who were returning home. Both opportunities were very rewarding for her. Mary later worked as a nurse in Germany before returning to the United States with her husband. They had two sons and Mary worked as a pediatric nurse until her retirement in 2013.  

In 2022, Mary returned to Green Bay from the East Coast. As she personally started to realize her own memory changes, she met with the VA Hospital to seek advice, and they suggested Curative. Mary is now a member in our Mind Movers program for people experiencing early memory loss. Mary comments, “I was very scared to come to Curative. I thought, ‘What is happening to me, to my life that I need to use Curative’s services?’ I could see changes in myself but did not want to go down this path. Now, today, I can say, ‘Curative is where I need and want to be.’”  

Mary’s touching story demonstrates Curative Connections’ positive impact on both members and their families throughout the past 75 years, today and in the future.