February Focus: Honoring Memorial Scholarships
Honoring Loved Ones Through Legacy
Finding ways to honor those who have passed is not always easy. In a deeply personal process of grief and loss, everyone walks a different path to keeping their loved one’s memory alive. For some, memorial is a quiet type of honor. For others, memorial is celebratory, keeping names alive through shared stories and community joy.
While there is no one way to honor a loved one, memorial scholarships have provided a gracious outlet for many of our donors. In this article, we remember the legacies of a few named scholarship honorees from all walks of life. Across different decades, livelihoods, and passions, their legacies live on through the stories we share and through the good done in their name. Read on to celebrate their stories and join us in honoring their memories.
Michael Brodhead
Michael Brodhead had a determined spirit and a kind soul. “His can-do attitude and his positive spirit rubbed off on those around him... In the brief time that Michael was part of the community, he demonstrated that it is possible to overcome a handicap and to live a very happy, productive, and fun life,” says his father, Rob. Born with a heart condition, Michael faced chronic health challenges during his life. Michael was wise beyond his years and worked hard at the things he loved – education, sports, and airplanes were among his many passions.
When he passed away at 13 years old, the Brodhead family created the Michael Brodhead Scholarship to honor Michael’s spirit. It is awarded each year to a student with a disability who demonstrates good moral character, maintains good scholastic standing, and participates in extracurricular activities. “Quite frankly, the Foundation made it a lot easier for us as a family to administer a scholarship fund... we get to see Michael’s memory in our community continuing, and that’s really important to us,” says Rob.
Ashley Burgauer
“Someday when we get to be little old ladies with wrinkly fingers, we are going to look back on everything and smile and be so happy that we made it all these years,” a young Ashley Burgauer wrote in a letter to a dear friend. Unfortunately, chronic health conditions shadowed her teenage years, and in 2013, Ashley passed away from an undetected heart condition called myocarditis. Amidst their grief, some of Ashley’s longtime friends had the idea to establish Honor Stride, a nonprofit fundraising for the myocarditis foundation and raising awareness of the condition.
As the organization grew, part of the proceeds was routed into another cause: the Ashley Burgauer Scholarship, created through the Foundation to benefit a Muncie student entering the medical field. From Ashley’s mother: “Nursing was her thing. That was her passion... Just to see that someone is going to further their education with a little bit of money in Ashley’s honor is wonderful. This process has helped a lot in knowing that Ashley’s legacy will live on and that she didn’t die in vain.”
Tom Devine
Tom Devine was a beloved coach and teacher at Delta High School and a dedicated Muncie community member. In his 34 years of teaching physical education, health, and speech, Tom also coached 58 varsity sports teams – a feat that got him declared “the winningest coach in Delaware County” by one local radio station. His wife Lesley recalls that “Student after student said ‘Mr. Devine would always listen to me. He never criticized. He always listened to me even if I was having a bad day.” Tom volunteered at Habitat for Humanity builds, Toys for Tots, and local food drives, and he was part of the praise team at First Presbyterian Church.
When Tom was diagnosed with cancer in 2011, the community rallied behind him. After his passing, Lesley established the Tom Devine Memorial Scholarship in his honor, saying, “I knew that The Community Foundation would invest the money—that they would handle everything—and that’s what I needed.” Today, the scholarship helps graduating high school students who have overcome obstacles, and who might not have received other major scholarships.
Hurley and Fredine Goodall
Hurley Goodall was a changemaker in Delaware County, and the legacy of Hurley and his wife Fredine has lived on through their philanthropy. During his life, Hurley served as a board member of the Foundation and a member of the Indiana Board of Education; he was also the first elected African American member of the Indiana House of Representatives, among other positions. Hurley was passionate about improving racial equity, and he believed strongly in the power of education. “Education is the key to having a good life. The problem is money, how you’re going to pay for it. I wanted to encourage people, particularly those who were less affluent, to get a higher education and be successful.”
In 1994, the Ivy Tech Foundation established the Hurley and Fredine (Wynn) Goodall Scholarship, created to benefit local Ivy Tech students. The Goodall family endorsed the fund at The Community Foundation, believing that philanthropy was crucial to community betterment. “This is the only hope [of] making change happen,” said Hurley.
E.K. Keesling
E.K. Keesling was a pillar in the education of historic Delaware County students. During Center School’s sixty-odd years of existence, E.K. Keesling served as a teacher and principal for more than 30 years. A farmer by trade, Mr. Keesling was passionate about education and well-liked by his students, and he continued to serve as a member of the Liberty-Perry school board after his retirement. Though the school was disbanded in 1967, Center School alumni wanted to honor their childhood principal in a special way – after years of administering funds themselves, the Center High School alumni partnered with the Foundation to ensure the longevity of a scholarship program in his honor.
Today, the E.K. Keesling Memorial Scholarship has helped dozens of Delaware County students continue their education while carrying on the history of the Center High School Spartans. The application honors those who have succeeded the Spartans by benefiting Perry Township students graduating from Wapahani High School, as well as those whose family members attended the historic school.
Robert & Wanda McKibben
Robert and Wanda McKibben found their home in Yorktown – the two spent their childhoods there, graduated from Yorktown schools, and raised their own family in the city after marrying. Robert served the community through the Yorktown Lion’s Club and as a member of the Yorktown Planning Committee, while Wanda volunteered with Yorktown Methodist Church and assisted with school events. When it came time to honor their legacy, a scholarship fund was the perfect way to uphold their love of the city. In 2009, the McKibben family established the Robert and Wanda McKibben Scholarship to financially assist a Yorktown High School graduate with at least a 3.0 GPA and financial need.
“My parents gave in a variety of ways to their family, friends, and community” says Jeffrey McKibben. “My hope is that ... their legacy will continue to touch the community they served and loved... For me, as their son, there is an added value that my parents will be honored and remembered for their philanthropy.”
Nicholas B. Sherfy
Nicholas Sherfy graduated from Cowan High School in 2005 and earned a bachelor's degree from Ball State before working in the fabrication industry. He loved his wife and two children, and his family’s passion for baseball was a constant in his life. When Nick passed unexpectedly, the Sherfy family did what they knew best – give back to their community. Today, the Nicholas Brooks Sherfy Memorial Scholarship benefits a student from Cowan Jr./Sr. High School who participates in athletics and has the desire and determination to pursue higher education. “This will be a scholarship that Nick would have been eligible for,” says his dad, Shawn.
“He really enjoyed the social part of school, and the extracurricular activities along with the academics. It’s about supporting someone who would resemble him and aspires to pursue sports with education.” Proceeds from an annual golf outing help to grow the scholarship fund, which Shawn wishes to maintain indefinitely. The family also dedicated a Little League diamond as “Nickfield” to honor the community that helped raise their son.
Rex A. Waldo II
Rex Waldo II was outgoing, resilient, and caring, and he was dedicated to pursuing education in a way that worked for him. Fifteen years after graduating from Yorktown High School, he returned to Ball State to earn a degree in Computer Technology, proving his determination for self-improvement in every stage of life. When Rex passed unexpectedly in 2018, his family wanted to honor his tenacity for education through the Rex A. Waldo II Scholarship. The scholarship is granted each year to a graduating Yorktown senior seeking a career in health or computer science, with the aim of filling a financial need. (Photo: Scholarship Award)
Rex’s sister Rhea says, “I know that it’s really meaningful to my parents to know that we are helping families and taking a little bit of that burden away.” Applicants don’t need to be the “perfect” student, the family believes – they just need to be themselves and have a desire for higher education. Through the fund and its impact, the Waldo family hopes to carry on Rex’s legacy in words and deeds for generations to come.
Bobby Waters
“Bobby was a great man in every way possible. He gave so much to his family as well as our community and was the prime example of ‘community,” says Paula Rench, former Vice President of the Daleville Athletic Boosters. Bobby wore many hats in the Daleville community – in his over 40 years of residency, he was a member of the Daleville Athletic Boosters and served on the Daleville School Board before joining the Delaware County Council. When Bobby passed away, the Daleville Athletic Boosters wanted to honor the many marks he made on their community.
Today, the Bobby Watters Scholarship annually supports a graduating high school student from Daleville, helping students in the community to grow their own education and inspiring young leaders to follow in Bobby’s footsteps. “Being a donor to The Community Foundation, we’ve been able to give back and help establish a bond with the community... Being able to keep his memory alive within the community is priceless,” says Paula.
Charles Whitehair
Charles “Chuck” Whitehair was a sixth generation Delaware County farmer. He was involved with Future Farmers of America (FFA), 4-H, Lions Club, and several local boards. “Dad always stressed the importance of pursuing and being dedicated to what you love,” say his daughters. “He never met a stranger, would never allow himself to be outworked, and believed every moment could be turned into a teaching moment.” As a farmer, Chuck took on the many roles of his work – mechanic, mathematician, soil scientist, meteorologist, veterinarian, and businessman – for the sake of the farmers who came before him and those who would come after him.
As a ten-year 4-H member, Chuck mentored the future farmers of Delaware County and was proud to pass on the noble livelihood. When Chuck passed away, his family and friends established a scholarship to honor his legacy and continue his work. Today, the Charles L. Whitehair Memorial Scholarship is granted to a Delaware County student who has been involved in 4-H or FFA and is pursuing agriculture or business.
Make a Difference
Caring, giving donors are key to developing an enduring source of charitable assets to benefit our community today, tomorrow, and always.