**This obituary has been updated**

Sally Ransom-Knecht, age 92, former Director of Nursing at Maryland General Hospital died on Saturday, June 15, 2024 from complications of a fall.

Born Sally Jane Niedhammer in New York City, she was one of four children of Selma and Walter Niedhammer. Educated in New York, she graduated from Methodist Hospital of Brooklyn School of Nursing and New York University with a B.S. and M.A. degrees. She attended Johns Hopkins University for postgraduate work. Nursing was a family affair; her mother and two sisters were all graduate nurses. She practiced nursing first as a staff nurse and then as instructor at Methodist Hospital before she became Director of Nursing at Bethany Deaconess Hospital in Brooklyn. At that time, she was the youngest director in the state. She led the hospital to its first Joint Commission on Hospital Accreditation and initiated many new changes to improve nursing care and conditions for nurses.

She moved to Baltimore in 1963 to become the Director of the School of Nursing and Nursing Service at Maryland General Hospital. She not only led the patient care staff, frequently made rounds to talk to "forgotten staff" on the night shift and also directed the faculty in the School of Nursing Program. In the twelve years she was there, 471 students graduated, and many continued to have contact with her as they grew in their profession. One such student later became the Vice President of Nursing at the hospital. During her tenure, the program expanded and improved and continues to be accredited by the National League for Nursing. The school, like other diploma programs, has since closed. She consulted for the nursing profession, held membership in the American Nurses Association, National League for Nursing, Tri State Hospital Association, and was a member of the Advisory Board of the Health Services Cost Review Commission, and the former Maryland Catholic Health Care Consortium. She held the office of Treasurer in the Maryland Chapter of the American Society of Health Care Education and Training.

In 1968 she married the Rev. Dr. Lewis F. Ransom, then the District Superintendent of the Baltimore Southeast District of Baltimore Conference of the United Methodist Church. Together they served the Bel Air United Methodist Church and then Woodside Methodist Church in Silver Spring. She commuted to Baltimore for two years until she became the Director of Nursing at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C. When her husband retired in 1977, they moved back to Towson, and she took a position at Good Samaritan Hospital as Assistant Director of Nursing. She subsequently became the Director of Education where she coordinated nursing education and as a Certified Management Trainer led workshops and seminars for hospital department heads and supervisors. Terry Tucker, one of her instructors, described her as "one of the best managers a professional could work for".

In addition to professional responsibilities, she was active in her community, serving on the board of Asbury Village Retirement Community for three years, and as President of Dulaney Valley Condominium Village. Leaders at the condominium described her as having a selfless desire to make the community as great as humanly possible. For 28 years she was a board member of the Board of Child Care, an agency of the United Methodist Church. She devoted a great deal of her time serving as President for three years. During her tenure a major 18 million dollar building project and program development was achieved. In 2012 the Board of Child Care honored Sally by naming the Welcome Center and Archive Building for her. It recognized her knowledge and passion and development of displays in the building which preserves the rich heritage of the agency.

As a board member of Edenwald Retirement Community in Towson for 25 years, until taking up residence there in 2013, she served on Quality Improvement and in the expansion of the facility. At Greater Baltimore Medical Center, she was a member of the Spiritual Advisory Committee for ten years. She was involved as a volunteer in the early years of the hospice program at Stella Maris, taught the "Me Too Program" for children who had has a significant loss, and later lectured to volunteers at Gilchrist Hospice in Towson.

As an active Methodist most of her life she was a member of Towson United Methodist Church where she served on the Administrative Board and for two years was chair of the Staff-Parish Relations Committee. Her previous memberships included Mt. Vernon Place United Methodist Church and Grace United Methodist Church. She was a member of the Baltimore-Washington Conference of the United Methodist Church and serves as Lay Leader of the Baltimore North District 1996-2000, and chair of the Council prior to that. As a member of the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry for ten years, she played a part in the examining of candidates for ministry. She also served on the Board of Pensions and Board of Laity.

In 1987 following the murder of her first husband, Lewis, in a Baltimore street robbery, she was determined to help other survivors of homicide as they delt with their grief and the Judicial System who in those days was not sensitive to survivors' needs. With the help of the Baltimore States Attorney's Office of Victim Services she co-founded the Families of Homicide and Drunk Drivers Support Group, a group still serving victims today. She organized the first statewide Memorial Service and helped secure a Federal Grant for the support group as well as counsel the survivors. Her efforts were rewarded when she received the Annual Governor's Victim Assistance Award in 1989 and the U.S. Department of Justice Special Recognition Award in 1991. By conducting a study for the State Board of Victim Services at a public hearing in 1992 she was instrumental in effecting availability of more services to crime victims. During the late 80's and 90's, she was a frequently sought speaker and workshop leader on the effects of victimization and the healing for survivors of homicide.  Sally and the late Ginny Mahoney were instrumental in getting legislation through the Maryland State Assembly to allow victims of crime an opportunity to provide victim impact statements at Judicial sentencing.

Retiring from her profession of Nursing full time in 1991, she continued to do Camp Nursing at West River Center south of Annapolis. In 2009 a dining room in the dining center was dedicated to her. In her retirement, she had numerous interests including enjoying time with family, reading fiction, travel, lunch dates with friends, volunteering her time with the church, gardening and antique furniture refinishing. She developed a rock garden and was known as the "Zinnia Queen" as she grew many varieties of zinnias.

In 1992 leaving her grief behind and storing fond memorial in her heart forever, she found a second chance for love. She gathered the seeds of love, hope, trust, and faith and grew those seeds into happiness. Her life took on a new meaning and purpose when she married Frank A. Knecht, Jr., the retired Director of Building Services at Good Samaritan Hospital where they both worked. Together they bought a house in Timonium and spent time traveling, using their joint talents helping others with yard work, repairs and moving.

In 2013 they moved to the Edenwald Retirement Community in Towson where she was active in the Resident's Association, first as Chair of the Archive Committee and Buildings and Grounds Committee, and then as Vice President. In 2018 she was elected President and participated in the Search Committee for a new President/CEO. During her tenure, many changes took place at Edenwald.

Mrs. Knecht collected Hummels, mini vases, birds, decorative birdhouses and was an avid reader.

She is survived by her siblings, Janet Stanton of N.J., Susan Haynal of L.I., and Walter Neidhammer of N.J.; stepchildren, Charles Knecht, and Ruth Farrell; grandson, Kevin M. Ransom and his wife Anna; nine step grandchildren and 15 step great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her beloved husbands and her stepsons, Lewis Ransom and Frank Knecht III.

The family will receive friends at Towson United Methodist Church (the church her first husband built and served at for fourteen years), 501 Hampton Lane, Towson, Maryland 21286 on Saturday, July 6 from 10-11 AM with a Memorial Service officiated by Pastor Stephanie Roberts-White to begin at 11 AM. Inurnment will be at the church columbarium. Family and friends will share a gathering and reception at Edenwald Retirement Community, date and time still to be determined. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to Towson United Methodist Church .

Please share a memory of Sally by signing her guestbook.