Why Marist?

Supporting Marist Now and with a Legacy Gift

Fred Lorthioir ’81 in his woodworking shop
with a hand-carved oak and pine box
inspired by those that were common
in 17th-century New England households.

Looking back, Marist was the perfect school for me at that point in my life. In addition to a quality education, the social and academic environment enabled me to grow and develop as an individual. I vividly remember visiting Admissions in Greystone and being awestruck at the architecture and the beautiful Hudson River views.

After graduation many of us landed jobs in New York City, and we got together as often as we could. For years, I would volunteer with other alumni for Marist Fund phonathons.

I always filled out my pledge card first and was pleasantly surprised that I was effective at encouraging others to contribute. My initial donations were small because I could not afford much. Fortunately, I was able to increase them over time.

I am currently in the second round of providing four years of scholarship support to a grateful student. The scholarship is named in memory of my friend and roommate, FDNY firefighter Kevin Pfeiffer ’83. Supporting scholarship recipients has been gratifying, hoping that in some small way I have helped them attend Marist.

Now retired from a career in finance at TIAA, the hardest question is how much and by what means can I give more to Marist. Since it is hard to predict future financial needs, I decided to add Marist as a beneficiary to a whole life insurance policy that I purchased in the 1980s. The beauty of using this type of “transfer-on-death” account is its simplicity and ease of implementation. All I needed to do was to call my insurance company and update the beneficiary designations. I was done in the time it takes to drink a cup of coffee. It was an easy way to put a stake in the ground and become a member of the Marist Legacy Society.

Marist had a profound impact on my life. My biggest hope is to give young people opportunities so they can benefit from a Marist education and to instill the thought that Marist is a long-term relationship.

—Fred Lorthioir ’81

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