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Portrait of a Planned Giver
 A Gift That Gives Back
Though he spent only two years at Blair Academy, Albert Bergen ’43 was prompted to create a charitable remainder trust, nevertheless. “I felt I wanted to do this because Blair was so helpful to me, providing two years of a good education,” he explained.
Since his retirement, Al and his wife, Lois, have enjoyed time together pursuing their many mutual interests. (This comes as no surprise, since they’ve known each other since childhood.) “We’re avid gardeners, travelers and sailors,” Al explained. “We sail in Great South Bay near our home in Sayville, New York, where I’ve spent all my life.” He and Lois enjoy their time on a nearly daily basis, six months of the year, aboard a 22-foot auxiliary sailboat. “That means it has a motor,” Al quipped.
One week after he graduated from Blair, Al was drafted, serving 36 months with the Navy on a ship in the Pacific. He later attended Syracuse University, graduating in 1950. After working for the Erie Railroad for three years, he spent the rest of his career as a freight traffic consultant.
Though he has not been back to campus in about 10 years, Al has fond memories of the school, his teachers and classmates. “Blair Academy did a fine job of preparing us to go into the service; they even trained us on an obstacle course,” he recalled. Al also remembers his mechanical drawing course, taught by Charlie Hall, as well as an aviation course. “And I got a great deal out of Chet Williams’ history course,” he said. “What I learned at Blair prepared and impressed me.” |
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