Margery Okano Fearing

Margery Okano Fearing

Iowa City

Northfield, VT & Iowa City, IA — Margery “Margie” Mineko Okano Fearing, RN, BSN, MA, ARNP, age 89, a pioneering nurse, educator, and beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, passed away on October 16, 2024, at Central Vermont Medical Center, surrounded by her devoted family.

Born June 13, 1935, in Rock Springs, WY, Margie was the youngest of seven children born to Kakuji and Misao Okano, founders of Wyoming’s first international fish market. Her deep empathy, fierce intellect, and work ethic shaped a lifetime of service and innovation in the field of nursing.

After earning a scholarship to the University of Wyoming, Margie graduated in 1957 with a degree in nursing and began her career as a public health nurse in Cheyenne. There she met her lifelong partner, Kennard D. Fearing, and the couple married in 1960. Together, they moved to Kentucky to teach at Berea College before settling in Iowa City, where Margie earned her MA in Nursing at the University of Iowa.

Margie went on to help establish one of the nation’s first long-term hemodialysis treatment programs at the Iowa City VA Medical Center. This groundbreaking initiative became a national model. She served for decades as a clinical nursing specialist at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and as a professor at the University of Iowa College of Nursing. Her co-authorship of the influential textbook Concepts Common to Acute Illness solidified her role as a thought leader in her field.

Margie was passionate about healing in all its forms and always championed patient-centered care. She studied traditional Japanese therapies, became a Certified Healing Touch Practitioner in 1996, and practiced Healing Touch well into retirement. She loved good food, live theater, Hawkeye football, and sharing her signature monster cookies with friends and co-workers.

She and Ken shared 62 joyful years of marriage, traveling, spending winters in Hawai‘i, and eventually relocating to Vermont in 2012 to be closer to their children. Ken passed away in 2022, holding Margie’s hand.

Margie is survived by her daughters, Leisa Fearing (Sarah Rosedahl) of North Hero, VT, and Marsha Fearing (Cara) of Needham, MA. Margie treasured the time she spent with her only granddaughter, two-year-old Ava Louise, finding joy in her laughter and delight in her dancing. She was preceded in death by her husband, Kennard, her six siblings, and her sister-in-law, Nancy Sanders. She was especially proud of her brothers’ service in the 442nd Infantry Regiment during World War II.

A joint celebration of life for Margery and Kennard will be held on Saturday, July 26, 2025. A public graveside service at 11:00 a.m. will be held at Memory Gardens in Iowa City. This will be followed by a luncheon and joyful celebration of their lives at the Element Hotel, 314 S Clinton Street. In lieu of flowers, the family invites you to share memories and photos at the memorial or online at https://www.forevermissed.com/margiefearing/.