Page 65 - Paduan Fall/Winter 18-19

Pasqualle J. (Pat) Montanaro III ’71
I am thankful for the education that Padua provided me. It helped put me on the path to success, but I didn’t realize that until some years after graduation. I attended Cleveland State University, later married and had a family, and recently retired from a career in engineering. The love of education has brought me back to the high school classroom in my second career, teaching math and physics. I give back to Padua Franciscan because I know that sometimes it can be a financial burden on a family, as it was for mine, to send their child to Padua. I give back because I have been blessed with adequate resources and I want to share them with the students at Padua today.
Bob Riester ’65
As a student, I really didn’t like school and I looked forward to graduation and enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. I never dreamt that I would be the first graduate, but as I tell everyone, I would still be waiting to graduate if it had been done academically and not by height.
My 3+ years in the Air Force were very beneficial and I was beginning to realize how important my Padua education and values were in forming a cornerstone in my life. After my discharge in February, 1969, I returned to Cleveland to attend college full-time and work part-time but that all changed when I realized that I needed full-time job to make ends meet and go to school at night, because I met the love of my life and married her December 1969.
Like many young couples, we both worked full-time and I was still going to school at night. During this time, I would enjoy reading Unending Loyalty magazine and knew that Padua meant more to me than I thought. I wanted to get involved but financially that was not an option but I did have time after finally graduating from college in December 1975. I knew then that someday we would be able to contribute financially.
Our reunions were great reminders of how important our time at Padua was in relationships and values. My wife, Ginny, graduated from Lourdes Academy, which closed. So, when we discussed making Padua a beneficiary in my life insurance policy she was supportive (as usual) because she didn’t have her school to support and visit and everyone she has met has made her feel like part of the Padua family. When we were approached about the PaduaPlus+ Campaign, we agreed because we have both been very blessed and thankful for the cornerstone it had on me and our years together.
Michael J. Gerda ’87
I give because there is a need for young adults of all financial levels to have access to the Catholic education offered by Padua Franciscan. Padua not only offers excellent academics, but leadership, teamwork skills and a spiritual connection. The foundation of who I am in my professional and personal life started with Padua. My giving allows me to help other young adults build that same strong foundation.
Kathleen A. Zipp ’06
Growing up to value service, as Padua taught me, I feel it’s everyone’s duty
to give (financially or through volunteering) to organizations and causes that they believe in. If everyone did this, every organization would have enough
to serve others. Padua is one of those organizations that is important to me and that I believe in. The money others gave to me in the form of scholarships was very much appreciated while I was at Padua, and I feel that it’s my turn to do the same. Tuition is much higher now and difficult for many families to afford. I will continue to give back as best I can to help provide a Franciscan education for current students.
Donna Koler
Our family has been intertwined with Padua since 1979 when my oldest son, Michael ’83, became a freshman. His brothers, David ’85, Jerry ’86 and Mark ’87 followed him over the next few years.
One of my daughters-in-law, Christine Hilscher ’87, along with eight of my nine grandchildren, Alyssa ’11, Rebecca ’13, Matt ’15, Emily ‘16, Ian ’17, Lauren ’17, Ryan ’17 and Kaleigh ’18, have all graduated from Padua. My youngest grandson, Alex, will graduate in 2019.
I have so much pride in how my sons and grandchildren turned out and I give a lot of credit to Padua for contributing to their successes. Padua not only provides an excellent education, but also many outstanding extracur- ricular activities, such as the orchestra, the theater program, athletics,
etc. Padua teaches her students outside of the classroom as well, with many opportunities to serve the community, including the biggest of all, Christmas for Others. I wondered how I could give back to this wonderful institution and help future students experience the same things my children and grandchildren have experienced.
I have donated to Padua for many years. A few years ago, the government helped people like me by instituting a program called Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), which is available to IRA owners who are 70.5 or older. Donated funds transfer directly from an IRA to a charity of their choice. The major benefit is that the amount donated (up to $100,000 per individual) is excluded from taxable income and counts toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD).
Although charitable contributions are potentially tax-deductible, with the new tax laws, fewer people will be able to deduct them. IRA owners can take advantage of the QCD to reduce, or even eliminate, the tax on their RMDs, and at the same time, benefit an institution like Padua Franciscan. You can elect a QCD every year. Please join me in supporting our school.
65