Williamstown Library Receives $160,000 From Deceased Patron
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The David and Joyce Milne Public Library recently was the beneficiary of the estate of longtime resident William Scanlan.
Scanlan left the library $80,000 and left an additional $80,000 to the Friends of the Milne after his death in December 2014.
“We lost a dear friend and library patron that will be missed by all the staff,” Milne Director Pat McLeod said. “Bill was a lifelong voracious reader and enjoyed visiting the library at least once a week for a short stack of books he would read very quickly. Bill was a quiet man, but enjoyed talking about the Saratoga Race Course and the Boston Red Sox.
“This gift is a real tribute to a man that lived as a journalist, lived with books and loved his local library.”
Scanlan, 73, was a journalist who worked on newspapers in Alaska, Louisiana, New England and Germany. The last stop of his professional career was at the Berkshire Eagle, where he worked for 17 years before retiring in 1997.
His former Eagle colleague and current Milne Library Trustee Charles Bonenti called Scanlan, “a true gentleman” who brought knowledge and professionalism to his job.
Scanlan was a native of Texas but grew up in Lynn, Mass. He attended the University of Massachusetts and served in the U.S. Army before embarking on his career in journalism.
The University of Massachusetts’ scholarship fund also was remembered in his will.
He was survived by his former wife, Kay Scanlan, who informed the library and Friends group of his bequest.
More information about the library can be found at milnelibrary.org. More information about the Friends of the Milne can be found at milnelibraryfriends.org.
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