Frank McCreary ’61, co-chair of his 60th Reunion Gift Committee, started a family financial aid fund at Punahou. Although he lives in Houston, his Buff ’n Blue spirit is strong, and he has given annually to the School for more than 40 years.
My parents’ decision to send me to Punahou when we moved to Hawai‘i in 1957 was momentous in its effect on my future and happiness during our four years in Hawai‘i. Of course, I did not appreciate its significance at the time, but I am profoundly grateful to them for it.
We lived at Hickam Air Force Base, adjacent to Pearl Harbor, and a vivid memory of those days is of the daily commute to and from Punahou. In my first two years, I rode a bus, but by junior year, I had a car.
Then in my senior year, I joined a carpool with three Hickam classmates – Barry Baer ’61, Denny Holmes ’61 and Bill Wray ’61 – and we had a parking place on campus, the ultimate luxury. The four of us became lifelong friends, and although Bill sadly has passed away, Barry and Denny are still among my very best friends.
My mother died unexpectedly in February 2001. It was a heavy blow, and I was in the middle of a long and difficult regimen of chemotherapy for T-cell lymphoma. Later that year, having survived cancer, I began to think about making a gift to honor my parents. Because we had all loved our time in Hawai‘i and been proud of our association with Punahou, I decided to establish an endowed scholarship fund in their memory. For me, it was a very good decision. The endowment preferentially provides aid to children of military families, so that others can have the same opportunity that I had. And adding to the
endowment each year honors the memory of my parents and gives me extra incentive
to give back to the School.
I have been fortunate to attend most of our Class of ’61 Reunions over the years, and every one of them has been wonderful. My classmates’ hospitality and generosity have been magnificent, and I am grateful for all they have done. So when my dear friend, Barry, called me and said he had agreed to chair our 60th Reunion Gift Committee if I would be his co-chair, I readily agreed.