I want to pay respect to a lady, Barbara Kaplan, recently honored by Wilmington College which presented a “Certificate of Excellence” in her memory to her husband, Ben. President Bates and Board Chair Mr. Sidwell did the honor of presenting this very deserving certificate. They cited Barbara’s highly commendable work and her passion for enhancing the student’s experience during her years at the college.

I met Barbara and Ben many years ago. They lived on a farm on Berlin Road. Barbara had a love for the country life. She enjoyed being out in the fresh air mowing the grass with Ben, and just enjoying life. She loved planting flowers around the house and taking care of them until the flowers bloomed to radiant colors. She enjoyed horses, and she also enjoyed playing the flute; she was an expert and loved playing for people. Barbara played in the Hitchhiker Celtic band and was a member of the Charmz, and she loved playing for Cape May residents.

Barbara was a very caring, kind person, She was so full of life, always trying to help and offering encouragement to others. As she did at Wilmington College with the students, she was no different in everyday life with whomever she came in contact with. Barbara and Ben raised two very successful daughters, Racheal and Emma. Both are doing well. She was so proud of her girls and of her grandchildren. One can see Barbara in Racheal and in Emma — both are very caring and both chose careers to help people.

The passing of Barbara Kaplan will affect the lives of many in our community. But, knowing Barbara, she would want all those people to be kind, to be positive, to be honest and to enjoy life to the fullest. Barbara was truly a wonderful person.

Danny Mongold

Columbus