WYOMISSING, Pa. – It’s the end of an era for Tower Health Pediatrics as a longtime, beloved nurse hangs up her hat. 

“She just has a very comforting voice and working with her over the years, she’s a comfort to everybody who she’s around,” said Dr. Cindy Schadder, a pediatrician at Tower Health Pediatrics. 

After almost three decades with what started as Wyomissing Pediatrics and is now Tower Health Pediatrics, “Nurse Barbara” is retiring.

“Today, 29 years ago, I was hired,” said Barbara Kantner. “That’s why I picked today.”

Kantner’s career in nursing started long before Tower Health Pediatrics.

She went to nursing school, graduating from Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences in 1971.

“I started in the emergency room when it was called the ‘accident dispensary’ at Reading,” Kantner said. “I was the only nurse on the evening shift, and I had a nurse aid or an LPN with me and that was it.”

After that, she was a school nurse at a local school where her son attended. 

When she became a widow, she came to Tower Health Pediatrics where she had a lasting impact on many lives. That was made apparent as she prepared to say her goodbyes.

 Since she doesn’t own a computer, her coworkers printed out 49 pages of comments.

“I said, ‘I’m just one of many in this group,’” Kantner said.  “I mean, I’ve been here longest, but I don’t think I’m anything special.”

Most everyone she interacted with would disagree. 

“She did it the right way,” Schadder said. “Everybody’s dream in life is to have a wonderful career, that you’re loved by everybody, you make a difference, and she can go out on her own terms.”

As for retirement plans: Kantner enjoys antiquing and flowers and has a whole house full of things she hasn’t had time to go through while working. She also has a lovely offer from a family member. 

“My little brother lives in the old farmhouse that’s been in our family for 100 years. Danny has a bathroom, a kitchen, a living room, a bedroom set up for me,” Kantner said. “[He] even built a porch on the outside. I can sit on the porch and wave to the people going up the road. He said I can come two days, two weeks, two years or forever.”