Meet Debbie Duke and Cornelia Dutton, Instructors for Helping Aging Parents While Working Full-Time

Ms. Debbie Duke and Ms. Cornelia Dutton will be our instructors for Helping Aging Parents While Working Full Time during the Florida Regional APA Conference in Jacksonville Beach. Visit www.floridaapa.org for Conference Registration.

Debbie Duke, MSN, RN, is a graduate of Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing, Samford University. She worked for Baptist Health System for 15 years and now is the Congregational Health Program Director at Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing, Samford University. This program is comprised of 158 churches in 27 counties and 3 states offering health education, screenings and health promotion events. Mrs. Duke is one of the faculty for the Parish Nurse Preparatory Class which is offered to registered nurses annually. She became a parish nurse in 1999 when the first class was offered in the state of Alabama.

In 2012 she received the Living Legacy award, for her community service from Ida V. Moffett School of Nursing, Samford University. She was one of 50 nursing graduate recipients at the 90^th Anniversary of the nursing school. Mrs. Duke serves on many community governing advisory boards and has been a speaker for varied professional organizations and symposiums.

Mrs. Duke has been married to Thomas N.P. Duke III for 31 years, has 4 grown children, 1 daughter-in-law, and is expecting her first 2 grandchildren this year.

Cornelia Dutton, RN, is a graduate of Jefferson State College in Birmingham, Alabama. She

worked as a nurse for 30 years, including 20 years in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Wolfson Children Hospital, Jacksonvile, Florida.

Since 2000, she and her husband, LE, have been the primary

caretakers for her parents until her mother's death in 2005. Her 96 year old father lived with them until his recent admission to a local care facility. Through this journey and with her training as a parish nurse, she felt called to establish a Caregiver Support Group which meets bi-monthly at Mandarin Presbyterian Church. The goal is to gather to offer support and assistance to those who are caring for family members. 

Cornelia serves as a deacon at Mandarin Presbyterian Church and is part of beginning of a food pantry to serve the needy of that community. She has been a group leader at Bible Study Fellowship for several years.

She has been married to LE Dutton for 47 years, has 2 grown sons, 1 daughter-in-law (The daughter she never had) and 2 amazing granddaughters, Alicia and Kari.