Doris Donnerstag’s second act shines at Shore
Views from the Shore
Over my years in marketing, I’ve crossed paths with some extraordinary people — many of them right here at Shore Medical Center. It’s a place where dedication, compassion and professionalism converge. But every so often, someone surprises you. They reveal a side you never knew was there. That’s what happened when I reconnected with Doris Donnerstag.
Doris served at Shore Medical Center as a financial analyst. To say she was immersed in data would be an understatement — she was Shore’s de facto statistician. She tracked admissions, patient days and worked closely on critical cost reports that kept the organization on solid ground. She retired just shy of her 31st work anniversary.
Last winter, I ran into her at the Jewish Community Center in Margate. She wasn’t in business attire or behind a desk. She was there as an artist, attending the opening reception of a mosaic art exhibit in which her work was on display.
I was a bit surprised to see her in this light. The numbers-and-spreadsheets Doris I remembered was now expressing herself through colorful fragments of glass and tile. And her newest piece? A breathtaking mosaic of a lighthouse in Jupiter, Florida, created after visiting the site and then bringing it to life in glass.
That very lighthouse piece will be featured at Shore Medical Center beginning June 25, as part of a special exhibit showcasing the work of the mosaic class from the JCC. I thought it was a beautiful full-circle moment — art created by someone who gave so much to Shore is now on display in the very building she helped support for three decades.
The exhibit will also include work from Nancy Taddei, a beloved former Shore nurse who worked in interventional radiology and the IV therapy team. Nancy, who recently passed away, was a fellow member of the mosaic group. She was modest to the core — always insisting, “I’m not an artist” — even as she produced stunning works. Her legacy lives on not only in the care she gave but in the art she left behind.
Doris describes mosaic-making as a meditative process. “It’s more about the journey than the final product,” she told me. “It’s mindful.” She explained how each piece starts with a sketch, followed by the painstaking process of cutting and arranging each piece of glass — sometimes hundreds per mosaic — before gluing and grouting them into a cohesive whole.
The class itself is more than art instruction. It’s become a vibrant community of people from all walks of life — retired lawyers, engineers, teachers and yes, financial analysts — bonding over creativity, stories and laughter. For Doris, what began as a way to avoid becoming a “recluse” after retirement quickly became a source of joy, purpose and friendship.
And that’s why this exhibit means so much. It’s not just beautiful art on display — it’s a reminder of the many dimensions of our Shore family. It shows us that after careers end, creativity begins. That life after spreadsheets can be filled with light and color — and shine just as bright.
Brian Cahill is the Director of Marketing for Shore Medical Center. He is also on the Board of the Somers Point Business Association, an Adjunct Professor in the School of Business at Stockton University, and is a founding member of Somers Point-Community First, a local volunteer organization
