Ocean Medical Center Nurse's Legacy Lives On In Scholarship Fund

Point Pleasant , NJ -- Chances are, Barbara Forfar would be pleased.

The scholarship committee of the scholarship that bears her name recently awarded three $500 scholarships to three nurses on the staff at Ocean Medical Center in Brick.

When Barbara died in 20111, her family chose to provide financial help to nurses and students who want to further their formal education in nursing, her brother Walter Konopka said.

“In the beginning we didn’t know what to do, but decided in lieu of flowers to have people make donations to Ocean Medical Center ... and thought after seeing what that totaled, maybe we could help young nurses with schooling," he said.

This year’s recipients, Amanda D’albenzio, Soroh Neuberger and Vera Reiner, were each presented with a $500 scholarship at a Sept. 19 ceremony..

“We really didn’t have any plans to keep this going, but the outpouring was received so well,” Konopka said.

“This has taken on a lot of interest ... has really taken off and has started to grow and ... it has been six years of giving nursing and nursing students scholarships.”

The fund has raised nearly $26,000 over six years for the scholarships and awarded $14,000 to 24 nurses and nursing students.

“My sister was always big on keeping up with times," Konopka said."She kept up with everything as best she could. Everybody knew she was always keeping abreast of everything and helping younger nurses whenever she could.”

To read the Ocean Star story, click here.

Image: Ocean Medical Center