Think of the positive impact beyond your lifespan

Two women have found creative ways to fund endowed scholarships at Saint Martin's University through gifts from their estates.

The Jan Berney Endowed Scholarship

Jan Berney began working at Saint Martin's University as a counselor in 1998 and became the director of the Office of Counseling and Wellness Services in 2007. If you have never met Jan at Saint Martin's University, you may have seen her enjoying the outdoors—skiing, mountain climbing, mountain biking, kayaking and windsurfing. She has climbed most of Washington's peaks, including Mt. Rainier, with her family and friends. Jan learned to love the outdoors as a child growing up in St. Cloud, Minn., in a family of seven. She enjoyed Girl Scouts, 4-H and any outdoor sport, especially in the snow and water.

When Jan went through a season of great personal loss and grief several years ago, she reawakened to how meaningful the Saint Martin's community had been to her for the past 10 years and to what is really important in our lives.

"Saint Martin's University is my family. I love the Benedictine values and believe in our mission, the students and what I do. The Benedictine values are universal and the monastic community presence is important to students, faculty and staff. I want others to have the community and academic experience of Saint Martin's, so in a small way I can provide that (with an annual scholarship and a planned gift from my estate)."

Now, she encourages people to look ahead: "When you think of the future, think of the positive impact beyond your lifespan. This gives me great meaning."

The Virginia Coomes Women's Scholarship Endowment

Longtime friend of Saint Martin's, Susie Coomes, has made a planned gift of her family's home to Saint Martin's University to support scholarships for women. It was started with a gift of $7,787 from the Attic Shop and friends of the family in memory of her mother-in-law, Virginia Coomes (wife of James Coomes Jr. '64).

Virginia ran a consignment store called the Attic Shop on the Saint Martin's campus, with the Mothers Club, to raise scholarships for the Virginia Coomes' name. When Susie's husband, James Coomes III '73, died six years later, she took the memorial gifts and added them to the original funds and continued donating monthly to the fund until it became endowed. Her brother-in-law, Dr. Michael Coomes, HS '69, and his wife, Judith, also contributed to the scholarship. Upon Susie's passing, the family home where her brother-in-law and high school boys, and later—once the high school closed—for the college.

Originally, the moms began with a rummage sale that turned into the Attic Shop, which was open a few days a week. Susie helped at the Attic Shop one Thursday afternoon a month, when she wasn't working full time for the Thurston County director of environmental health, which she did for more than 34 years.

Susie recalls, "We donated 40 cents on every dollar to the scholarship fund, which amounted to $10,000 to $12,000 per year for scholarships. All the women (working in the shop) were into antiques, and that was when the Antiques Road Show was popular. We had dealers come through all the time, including a guy from 4th Avenue (in Olympia) who would look at the jewelry."

When the building became too run-down 14 years ago, past President Dr. Spangler decided it had to come down, and the Attic Shop was closed. The women working in the shop sold everything and used the money to start a women's scholarship in Virginia Coomes' name. When Susie's husband, James Coomes III '73, died six years later, she took the memorial gifts and added them to the original funds and continued donating monthly to the fund until it became endowed. Her brother-in-law, Dr. Michael Coomes, HS '69, and his wife, Judith, also contributed to the scholarship.

Upon Susie's passing, the family home where her brother-in-law and husband grew up—now located in Panorama City—will be sold and donated to Saint Martin's for this scholarship.

Susie has a strong affinity for Saint Martin's University and the Benedictine monks, having attended Mass here for many years and often hosting Father John at their home for dinner before he became ill. "I'm really happy to do what I do," Susie muses.

Learn more about ways you can make a lasting impact at Saint Martin's through an endowed scholarship, or other future gift. Contact Nate Peters, MBA at NPeters@stmartin.edu or (360) 438-4367.