Edward A. Smith appreciated the excellent nursing care he received at Mountainside Hospital, and starting in the 1970s he was an ardent supporter of both the hospital and the Mountainside Hospital School of Nursing. Though he passed away in June of 2003, his legacy to helping students pursue careers in nursing has continued through the Edward A. Smith Memorial Nursing Scholarship. The scholarship is funded annually by contributions from his wife, Ellen Smith.
Mr. Smith was devoted to his family, his church and the community. He had two daughters, Janet and Nancy, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. He was born and raised in West Orange, lived in Bloomfield and then moved to Montclair after he married Ellen in 1962. He spent his entire 40-year career at Prudential Insurance in Newark, starting in the mail room and working his way up to the Human Resources Department. Mountainside Hospital was the beneficiary of annual matching gifts from Prudential during his tenure there.
Mr. Smith was also very active with the Westminster Presbyterian Church of Bloomfield, and later when the two churches merged, with the Bloomfield Presbyterian Church on the Green. During the 1950s and 1960s, he served as a Church Deacon, Elder and Clerk of Session.
The Edward A. Smith Memorial Nursing Scholarship was established in 2005, and was awarded each year to a student attending the Mountainside Hospital School of Nursing until the school closed in 2016. Since then, the scholarship has been awarded through a program established by Partners for Health Foundation through the Independent College Fund of New Jersey. Scholarships are given to full-time nursing students attending programs at Bloomfield College, Caldwell University, Montclair State University, and the Seton Hall University School of Nursing.
His daughter Janet recalls, “My father spent many days at Mountainside Hospital and he always did well there. It was only natural that he wanted to support scholarships to help future nurses with their education.”
“Partners for Health Foundation appreciates the generosity of Edward and Ellen Smith, and the scholarships that have helped so many aspiring students to finish their nursing education. We’re proud to have been part of assuring Ed’s legacy through this scholarship,” said Pam Scott, Executive Director.