Bob Napp turns 100 soon.

WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital turns 100 next year.

The man and the institution share a lot of history over the past century.

Bob’s three kids all were born at the hospital (some actually were born at its first location in a nearby historic home), as were many of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

His daughter, Kay Bolduc, worked as a nurse at the hospital. His grandson, Ryan Brown, is the current director of surgical services. A granddaughter was a physical therapist, and a nephew worked in the engineering department.

Bob and his grandson Ryan, who is 52 years younger than his “Pap,” even share the same family physician, Dr. James Patterson of WellSpan Family Medicine in Lewisburg.

Evangelical is that kind of a community hospital and health system, taking care of generations of the same Union County families.

“Getting to know my patients and their families is so great,” Dr. Patterson says. “It helps me provide the best care for them. Those kinds of relationships are so important to me. It is one reason why I love what I do.”

Meet Bob

Bob’s history is intertwined with Union County. Born at home on April 19, which was Easter Sunday, on his grandpa’s farm in Winfield, he served in the Navy in the Pacific theater during World War II. He came home and married his wife, Betty, 76 years ago. As the two raised their family, he worked as a superintendent for a road building company, a truck driver and a worker at an aircraft parts manufacturer. He also was a mailman and helped out with his wife’s craft business.

Evangelical also has been part of Union County’s history for a century. The hospital grew out of the Evangelical Home, which offered a home for the aged and an orphanage on what was known as the Slifer Farm. When the home’s infirmary started accepting patients from the community in 1926, patients arrived in streams. In 1953, a new hospital opened at the present site in Lewisburg. In 2021, the hospital added a new four-story addition, allowing it to offer private rooms to all patients. In 2024, the hospital became part of the WellSpan Health system.

In his early years, Bob and his family were cared for by a physician, Dr. Richard Karr, who came to their home. But the family went to Evangelical for more serious issues.

Kay, 72, of New Berlin, still remembers having her appendix out at the hospital when she was 13. The experience helped influence her future career choice due to her admiration for her own nurse, Lynn Hunter, who was her mailman’s daughter. The community ties run deep here!

Bob and Betty have received a lot of care from the hospital, particularly in recent years, including for broken hips, COVID-19, blood clots and other broken bones.

Bob says Evangelical has always been there for his family. It’s the kind of place where, when Bob finds himself waiting for an appointment in the hospital lobby, a café worker sees his World War II cap, comes over, and offers him a cup of coffee, thanking him for his service.

“It’s perfect,” Bob says. “I like everything about the place.”

The next chapter

Evangelical will continue to be there for Bob after he marks his century birthday. In fact, his grandson is helping the hospital move into the 21^st century as it offers the latest technology, overseeing the start of its robotic surgery program.

Bob says he has no secret for reaching age 100 but he’s always been very active and connected to his community.

“He worked circles around me,” Kay says, adding with a laugh, “He eats everything and anything. He’s involved with his church. He’s very social.”

For his birthday, his family has planned a big birthday party.

“He wonders if 100 people will be there,” Kay says. “There will be more than 100. Everyone knows them.”

“The Lord has taken very good care of me,” Bob says. “I am lucky.”

Bob Napp (seated) with his grandson Ryan Brown and his daughter (and Ryan's mom), Kay Bolduc.