Heather G Boyd-Monk

Heather Boyd-Monk, 88, of the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA, passed away on September 28, 2024 at Cathedral Village in Philadelphia while recuperating from surgery. Heather donated her body to medical science.

A memorial service to celebrate Heather's life will be held at 11AM, Saturday, October 19, at First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, at the corner of Walnut and 21st Streets.

Heather was born in Lusaka, Northern Rhodesia, on May 24,1936. She was predeceased by her father, Robert Danby Boyd-Monk, her mother Edith Frances Boyd-Monk, and her brother Errol.

She attended Chisipite Girls School in Salisbury, Rhodesia, and later worked for the Rhodesian Government in the Education Department as a shorthand typist. Her early interest in health care began as a volunteer member of the St John's Brigade. When Heather was 18, she travelled to Malta on a St John's Crusade and returned with an ardent desire to pursue a nursing career. In 1956, she was accepted at Addenbrook's Hospital in Cambridge, England, and this was the start of a truly varied and fulfilling nursing career. Once qualified as a nursing sister at Addenbrook's Hospital, she spent a brief time in Canada before arriving in the United States where she continued to develop her professional career in health care. Heather received her BSN from University of Pennsylvania in 1982 and became a Certified Registered Nurse in Ophthalmology in 1990.

Heather called Wills Eye Hospital her home for more than 30 years. She served as Assistant Director of Nursing for Ophthalmic Education Programs where in addition to Inservice education programs and teaching ophthalmic nursing essentials to newly hired Wills Eye nurses, Heather was the program director for more than 100 workshops and conferences. She lectured extensively nationally and internationally. She coauthored a book titled, "Nursing Care of the Eye", and published more than 100 papers on eye care. Heather was the editor of the Journal of Ophthalmic Nursing for 11 years. Heather was awarded the Outstanding Alumni Award from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in 1997. She participated in numerous global programs with ORBIS, an international nonprofit that builds strong and sustainable eye care systems around the world, often using flying eye hospitals for treatments and preventions.

Heather was a loving sister to Maureen Byars (Gorden), very proud aunt to Warren Byars (Eddie Alonso) and Stuart Byars and grand-aunt to William, Oliver and Thomas Byars. She was a talented artist, using water colors as her medium, and loved operatic music. At one time she explored the possibilities of becoming an opera singer. She travelled extensively and was knowledgeable about the world and its stories. She had an amazing flare for writing; describing her experiences in vivid detail. She revisited her family in Africa often, as she loved to experience the wildness of the African bush in both Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and South Africa and seeing the magnificent wild animals that roamed freely in the designated parks there.

Heather made many life-long friends, Fred Barfoot, Fran Cayer and Mary Ann Dellavalle, to mention a few. She lived by strong Christian principles and was thoughtful and caring of others. She was a member of The First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia and found strength and comradery in the community there. In her retirement, she had time to enjoy the many activities of the dynamic East Falls Village community group and their support and kindnesses to her in her failing health was truly amazing.