Today@Sam Article

How Planned Giving Honors My Son

Nov. 23, 2021
SHSU Media Contact: Emily Binetti

Like many parents, I wanted to provide my children with a path to a successful life. One of the key elements of that path was an education. After visiting different campuses, my youngest son Patrick chose Sam Houston.

When Patrick was very young, he became passionate about the environment, convincing me to start a mulch pile and a small garden. That passion translated into majoring in environmental science.

To help pay for his education, Patrick took an off-campus job. One evening after work, Patrick lost his life in a tragic car accident. Patrick’s death was traumatic and agonizing for our family.

In honor of his memory and to give encouragement and assistance to other young people, our family established an endowment. To ensure that the Patrick Neal O’Bryant Scholarship Endowment can help as many students as possible and last forever, I chose to supplement the endowment through a planned gift from my estate. A retiree of ExxonMobil, Pat O’Bryant maximized his gifts through his employer’s matching gift program.

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