Legacy Gift in Memory of Dr. John O'Meara Follows Forty-Three Years After His Passing

A legacy gift from the Forrest H. Judkins Trust has been made in support of the John O'Meara Scholarship Fund at Kean University.
This gift comes forty-three years after Dr. O'Meara's passing and is a testament to how planned gifts transcend over time.
The late Dr. John H. O'Meara served as a Professor of Communication Sciences at Newark State College, now Kean University. He joined the faculty in 1959 until his untimely passing at the age of 62 on February 28, 1981.
When Dr. O'Meara passed, donations were made to establish an annual scholarship in his memory, which was awarded to seniors demonstrating humanitarian qualities. An auditorium was also named in his memory in Hutchinson Hall on Kean University's main campus in Union, New Jersey.
In addition to donations that followed immediately upon his death, a charitable provision was included in the Forrest H. Judkins Trust, which was a trust held by the late Lila O'Meara Judkins who passed away in October 2023. Lila O'Meara Judkins was the sister-in-law to Dr. John O'Meara. Prior to marrying her second husband, Forrest Judkins, Lila was married to the late William O'Meara, who was Dr. John O'Meara's brother.
A unique individual in every respect, Dr. O'Meara was characterized by his warmth, openness, enthusiasm, and love of people. An extremely popular figure among students, alumni, faculty, and staff alike, he touched the hearts of all who knew him in a very special way.
The late Dr. Nathan Weiss, President of Kean College at the time delivered a warm and touching eulogy at the funeral services. In his eulogy, Dr. Weiss spoke about "Dr. O'Meara's marvelous sense of humor, cheery smile, and sunny nature." Dr. Weiss was quoted as saying, "With his ever-present bowtie, Dr. O'Meara always had kind words for everyone he met, and his optimistic view of life affected all of those around him. If he were to look at a partially filled glass of water, he would view it as half-filled, never half-empty, thus characterizing his positive outlook on life. He had a certain charming innocence about him, always looking at the brighter side and believing that there is good in all people."