Alumna’s Gift Through Estate Creates Scholarship, Helps With Long-Term Care Planning

Little did Phyllis Famoso Gunther ’67 know that when she left Queens for Oneonta in 1963 that she would remain here for more than 55 years.

Phyllis came to Oneonta for her degree in secondary science education. Spending every summer at nearby Gilbert Lake as a child, Phyllis knew Oneonta was her first choice for college. When she was a senior, Phyllis met the love of her life, Norman Gunther ’72G, a graduate student at Oneonta. They married after she graduated and both spent their careers in upstate New York: Phyllis as a seventh- and eighth-grade science teacher in Sidney, New York, and Norm in SUNY Oneonta’s Facilities department.

When it came time to plan their estate, Phyllis and Norm knew they wanted to give back to SUNY Oneonta to thank the College for their education and fulfilling careers. Phyllis tells of the time when she spoke with a young and hardworking SUNY Oneonta student who couldn’t afford her degree without a scholarship. That one student got her thinking: Phyllis came here when tuition was $400 a year, but she realized that students today need help—even with the reasonable costs of a SUNY Oneonta education.

In their estate planning, the Gunthers, who have no children, were sure to take care of close family first. They also included a gift in their estate plan to the College at Oneonta Foundation to establish an endowed scholarship in their names to benefit biology and earth sciences students who demonstrate academic achievement and financial need, which reflects their interest in the sciences and helping strong students with need. And the process of setting up their fund was simple. “It was very easy and enjoyable to work with the Advancement Office at the College, and it made the process go very smoothly,” adds Phyllis.

Including this substantial gift in their estate fit in with their overall financial plan. “We are self-funding long-term care, and given the costs of nursing homes today, making this gift through our estate means the money is there if we need it,” says Phyllis, who with Norm are loyal annual supporters of SUNY Oneonta. Another major attraction: gifts to the College at Oneonta Foundation are completely tax-free, so 100% of their gift will go to their scholarship.

“There is something special about SUNY Oneonta,” says Phyllis. “We have the largest endowment among SUNY colleges like ours because alumni give back—they are grateful and proud. And we see that stewardship and management of the funds is strong. It is a winning combination.”