PLANNED GIVING

When one hears of scholarships, it is only fair to first think about the recipients. Who are these deserving students, what are their life stories and why did they receive such prestigious rewards? Yet, most stop listening to the story there, missing the importance of the backstory behind each prestigious reward. What is the name of the scholarship, who awarded it and how did the scholarship come to be?

These important questions, which oftentimes get overlooked, can lead to a beautiful story. Such is the case with The Virginia Van Stone Memorial Scholarship made possible by Robert “Bob” Van Stone ’69 and his wife, Marian Darlington, honoring the commitment Bob’s mother, Ginny Van Stone, made to Blair over four decades of service.

“I had been thinking about the gift for a while,” stated Bob. “I had talked to my late mother about it, and I had promised her that I would do it, and I wanted to keep my word.”

Bob’s father died when he was very young, and Ginny and Bob moved to campus after Ginny came to work for the School. She was Headmaster Benjamin D. Roman’s secretary and then the School’s longtime registrar. Ginny lived in Blairstown with her family, and Bob began attending the school in 1965 as a day student.

“Blair is basically my hometown,” Bob commented. “Some people may have no interest in going back to their hometowns, but in my case, Blair was such a great experience and the School was like a bucolic little paradise for kids. When I think about my past and the experiences I had growing up, it usually revolves around Blair.”

Although Blair always held a special place in his heart, Bob admitted that it took him a while after graduating and starting his own career for him to realize just how meaningful Blair was to him. A little help from Blair’s athletic teams, particularly the growing boys’ basketball team under renowned coach Joe Mantegna, did not hurt.

“I didn’t get too involved with Blair after graduation,” Bob said, chuckling. “Or at least until Blair got a really good basketball team.”

Bob had been working in the Center City district of Philadelphia when two of his colleagues’ sons struck up a conversation with him about basketball. He recounted, “They all came into my office, and I said something along the lines of wanting to watch one of their games.” When it came out that Bob had played basketball for Blair, the boys were impressed, calling Blair’s program one of the best in the country. Now it was Bob who was impressed! He continued, “They then showed me a photo of current Blair boys’ basketball coach Joe Mantegna with Luol Deng ’03, Charlie Villanueva ’03 and Royal Ivey ’00 standing there with a basketball, grinning.” Amazed by the strength of his alma mater’s program, Bob thought, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Remembering that day fondly, Bob believes that conversation served as the catalyst that prompted him to get re-involved with his beloved school. It was a chat that led to Bob and Marian establishing a Charitable Gift Annuity and planning to fully fund The Virginia Van Stone Memorial Scholarship, through a gift from their estate, to give the opportunity for a deserving and willing student to attend Blair.

“This scholarship fund in recognition of my mother will go to a local student who may not otherwise have had the opportunity to attend a school like Blair,” said Bob. “A school where, every time I visit, I just instantly feel better. I think it’s because you know you’re at an institution that is doing very good things, and just by being there, you know you’re doing good things, too.” ■

Bob Van Stone ’69 and Marian Darlington.

Please consider making a provision in your will or estate plan to support scholarship at Blair Academy. Like Bob and Marian, you may also choose to honor someone who has made a difference in your life with a named scholarship. For more information and to join the John C. Sharpe Society of planned givers, contact Velma Lubliner, assistant director of advancement for capital and planned giving, at (908) 362-2041 or lubliv@blair.edu.