Today St. John’s College of Nursing honored and remembered the late Patricia Ann Sur Hart who endowed $1.125 million to the college to establish a scholarship fund. The first scholarship recipient of the newly established endowment will be Raven Smith of Springfield, Ill., a senior at St. John’s College working toward her Bachelor of Science in nursing.
Patricia Ann Sur Hart (1934-2021) was born and raised in Effingham, Illinois. She was a 1955 graduate of St. John’s Hospital School of Nursing. After working in Denver, Colorado as a registered nurse for about two years, she returned to Springfield, Illinois, and continued her education at St. John’s Hospital School of Anesthesia. She then entered the workforce as a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
In 1970, Pat moved to Lexington, Kentucky, and began working at Good Samaritan Hospital. Pat married Emette Hart in 1972, and they enjoyed many years together, traveling extensively. She enjoyed golfing, sewing, political conversations, and reading, and was an avid University of Kentucky basketball fan.
Pat was aware of the sacrifices her parents made to send their three children to college. That surely was a factor in Pat donating one of the largest single gifts to St. John’s College of Nursing to be used for endowed scholarships. She carried a quiet love for the college since her graduation and loved reading the ECHO with updates about her classmates and the school’s advancements.
“Pat valued her education and with this endowment, she has now created educational opportunities for others,” said Charlene Aaron, PhD, RN, chancellor of St. John’s College. “We could not be more grateful for Pat’s generosity toward the future of nursing.”
“St. John’s College of Nursing is more than just a place to go to get a degree,” said Mark Sur, Patricia’s brother. “It’s a place where lives are transformed, and in Pat’s case, a place to transform the lives of so many with her generous gift.”
To learn more about St. John’s College of Nursing or to apply, visit sjcs.edu.