Donor Stories

Estate Note to Establish Scholarship Fund

Don Custis '58 also has his eye on future generations of Wooster students. That's why he and his wife, Becky, have used immediate families," Don says. Accordingly, they have stipulated that scholarships from their fund be awarded on the basis of financial need. And because Becky, who is not a Wooster alumna, devoted her professional life to the practice and teaching of nursing, preference will be given to students who are preparing for careers in health-care professions.

"The first time we did a will, Wooster was one of the institutions named," Don says, "but it wasn't an irrevocable thing. It wasn't until my 40th reunion, as we began thinking ahead to the 50th, that I thought about how to do something more significant and definitive. That was when I learned about the Estate Note, which seemed to be an astonishingly simple way to do something."

He explains that it's a simple, one-page document that creates an obligation against your estate. It can be written so that the obligation comes due either after one spouse dies or both, but it can also be paid off in advance. And because it is an irrevocable commitment, it counts toward Don's 50th reunion class gift.

"I always had a strong, positive feeling about my experience at Wooster," Don says. Thanks to his and Becky's generous commitment, other young men and women will get that same opportunity.