IN MEMORY OF MELANIE AVA GILLAR

Longtime physical therapist and champion of research, Melanie Ava Gillar, passed away on August 17, 2020.

Gillar was a familiar face at events in support of the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research (FPTR). Her family requests that those wishing to honor her memory with a gift make a donation to FPTR’s Marilyn Moffat Fund for Geriatric Research. The Moffat Fund supports, in perpetuity, research designed to specifically advance knowledge of physical therapy for older adults.

Gillar generously contributed to the profession, donating annually to FPTR’s President’s Sustaining Fund and split raffle to sustain FPTR activities and the scientific review process. Gillar was also a founding member of the New York Physical Therapy Academic Coordinators of Clinical Education Special Interest Group and a member of the New York Physical Therapy Association. For her dedication to the profession, Gillar received the 2009 Lucy Blair Service Award from the American Physical Therapy Association.

A graveside service was held on Thursday, August 20, 2020, at Beth Israel Cemetery in Woodbridge, New Jersey. Gillar is survived by her two sisters, Marilyn Gaber and Lesley Newman, her niece, Melissa Gaber, and nephews, Jay Newman and Mark Newman.

Visit FPTR to make a loving gift in her honor.