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To Ma’am, With Love: Teacher Leaves Million-Dollar Bequest To School District For Establishment Of Scholarships

Her gift will establish scholarships for special education students seeking post-high-school educations.

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Richard Dreyfuss as Glenn Holland in Mr. Holland’s Opus, Robin Williams as John Keating  in Dead Poets Society, and Michelle Pfeiffer as LouAnne Johnson in Dangerous Minds — all epic portrayals of teachers, devoted and generous, often unorthodox and always inspiring. This September, these fictional heroes pale in comparison to Genevieve Via Cava, a Bergen County, New Jersey, special education teacher who worked for New Jersey’s Dumont Public Schools for 45 years, but continued to visit students and teachers throughout her retirement.

Via Cava died in 2011 leaving a bequest in her Last Will and Testament of one million dollars to establish scholarships for Dumont special education students seeking post-high-school educations. The scholarship program is scheduled to commence in the 2019-2020 school year and the selected students can use up to $25,000 for college or trade school.

Via Cava died without a spouse or children. Instead of bequeathing her sizable assets to more distant relatives or friends, she made a significant bequest to an educational institution. It is not uncommon for one without immediate family, to leave an estate to charity. Often bequests are left to alma maters, many of which devote their planned giving efforts to building lasting relationships with aging alumni.   In this case, however, Via Cava was an employee and not an alumnus of the Dumont public schools. Such a gift speaks volumes of her devotion to the teaching profession, dedication to students, and also respect for her employer. In addition to the one million dollar bequest, Via Cava also bequeathed $100,000 each to five additional organizations, including the Ramapo Animal Refuge and the Salvation Army.

Charitable giving, especially in one’s Will, can be religiously, politically, ethically, or even financially driven. The latter is common when estates subject to estate tax or inheritance tax (e.g., New Jersey) may take a deduction or exemption for bequests to qualifying charities. If one is seriously considering making a significant charitable gift, it is prudent to discuss the proposed gift with a major gifts officer at the organization. This enables the charity to specify whether a gift for a specific project is needed or if  the bequest is to be used for its general purposes. For significant gifts, one may wish to leave her Will in the organization’s possession for safekeeping, ensuring that is quickly and properly offered to the court upon her passing. Such an action will preserve the testamentary scheme against ne’er-do-well family members who literally believe that “charity starts in the home” and who would benefit more from an intestate plan. If there is serious concern as to a Will contest by next of kin, one may seek to establish a revocable trust to avoid probate, hence making it more difficult for any objections to the testamentary scheme.

The emotions attached to the Via Cava’s legacy are reminiscent of the lyrics of “To Sir, With Love,” perhaps the most famous song, ever, about a teacher: “The time has come for closing books and long last looks must end. And as I leave, I know that I am leaving my best friend.” Surely Via Cava is singing this to her students and they to her, with love.

Cori A. Robinson is a solo practitioner having founded Cori A. Robinson PLLC, a New York and New Jersey law firm, in 2017. For more than a decade Cori has focused her law practice on trusts and estates and elder law including estate and Medicaid planning, probate and administration, estate litigation, and guardianships. She can be reached at cori@robinsonestatelaw.com. 

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