Marva West Tan was born Oct. 29, 1942, in Butler, to the late Joseph West and Martha Brandon West.

Ms. Tan died in Savannah, Ga., on Wednesday following complications from a stroke.

She was a 1960 graduate of Butler High School.

She trained as a registered nurse at the Presbyterian Hospital School of Nursing in Pittsburgh, and received a bachelor of arts from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

Ms. Tan had a long and distinguished career in health care in which she worked as a nurse and then in hospital and utilization review, and in health care journalism. She worked for many companies and institutions in Washington, D.C., Boston, Chicago, Marietta, Ga., and Baltimore.

She retired to Savannah in 2008 where she was active in the Savannah Bassett Rescue Group and attended many college courses for retirees. Ms. Tan was an animal lover, an avid reader and she loved to travel, visiting Europe many times.

She is survived by her sister, Rebecca West of Chicago; her brother and sister-in-law, J.B. West and Kay Odegard of Seattle, Wash.; and her cousins, Bob Brandon, Kathy Rogerson and Ron Brandon.

<B>TAN</B> — Marva West Tan who died Wednesday, April 11, 2012, may be remembered with donations in her name to the Humane Society of America.