Deanna Lynn (Dee) Piazza

Deanna Lynn (Dee) Piazza, 75, passed away peacefully on February 24, 2025, at the Hillside Health Center after an extended illness.

She was born and raised in Topeka, Kansas. She earned her R.N. nursing degree at Stormont Vail School of Nursing after high school graduation. Later she received her B.S. and master's in Nursing at Phoenix University.

Early in her career, she specialized as a cardiac surgical nurse and later worked in eye surgery and plastic surgery. She went into management and was a supervisor over surgical and recovery rooms in three different hospitals in California and Oregon. She met the love of her life, Fred Piazza, in the operating room. He was a perfusionist, the person operating the heart/lung machine during open heart surgery. They were married for 37 years. Fred passed away in 2023. After Fred died, Dee moved from Florence, Oregon, to Hillside Retirement Center in McMinnville, Oregon where she met many wonderful friends.

Dee was an avid fan of the Kansas City Chiefs football team.

She is survived by three brothers, Mark, Ronald, and Kevin Smith; stepmother, Carol Smith; and stepbrother, Terry Smith.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 8, in the Manor Activity Room at Hillside Retirement Center in McMinnville.