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Concordia Alumnus Honors Classmate With Legacy Gift

Bill IrwinSometimes, the best way to make an impact is through the gifts you leave behind. Bill Irwin, alumnus of 1973, has supported CSP students through annual contributions during his lifetime, and has recently decided to leave his legacy through a planned estate gift.

Created in memory of a dear friend, Bill Irwin, BA ’73, and a group of Concordia classmates banded together to create the David Aasved Scholarship that would create immense impact on future generations of church work students.

During Bill Irwin’s first two years at Concordia University, St. Paul, he lived off campus and wasn’t connected to university life. He was six years older than his classmates—serving in Vietnam, working full time, getting married and having a daughter, and completing freshman year elsewhere before transferring to Concordia in 1970.

Before Bill’s senior year, his wife asked for a divorce. He was devastated and considered dropping out. But Herb Treichel, then Concordia’s dean of men, convinced him to stay and helped him get a job as a residence assistant.

“I was depressed and the guys in the dorm became my friends and support system,” Bill says. “My grades slipped, but the faculty was very considerate. I started that year not strongly connected to Concordia, but by the end, I was deeply connected.”

At his five-year reunion, Bill learned some disturbing news. Just weeks earlier, Concordia friend David Aasved had graduated from seminary and was driving to California for his ordination when he was brutally murdered. Bill and his classmates decided to start the David Aasved Memorial Scholarship for Concordia students pursuing full-time church work.

Since then, Bill has contributed annually to the scholarship. But he wanted to make a larger impact, so he adjusted his will to also provide a gift to the scholarship.

“I want to help Concordia prepare students for a career in the church,” Bill says. “Supporting a scholarship in David’s memory is one way of doing that.”

The David Aasved Scholarship Endowment is dedicated to preparing Concordia students for church work after completing their studies. The fund currently has a balance of $75,000, which sets it up to support students for many years to come. The David Aasved Scholarship Endowment is an enormous blessing to Concordia St. Paul, and will leave a lasting legacy on the lives of many.

Honor What Matters to You

Contributing to an endowment through your estate is a heartfelt way to honor someone important to you. Contact Mark Hill at 651-641-8223 or hill@csp.edu.

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