Sloane family makes unexpected bequest to BCD
Lenox — Berkshire Country Day School (BCD) has announced a surprise bequest from longtime community member, Helen C.S “Kimmie” Sloane.
Mrs. Sloane left a significant gift in her will many years ago, unbeknownst to BCD. Head of School Paul Lindenmaier was surprised to open his mail earlier this summer and find the generous check. “I am deeply touched by the kindness of a family who knows the school so well,” said Mr. Lindenmaier. “This gift comes at a most opportune time as BCD looks to the future with exciting new plans to enhance our beautiful campus and further secure our financial stability.”
BCD did not disclose the exact amount of the gift, other than to say that it was in the significant five figures.
Mrs. Sloane was a Trustee at BCD, an active volunteer and a teacher in the Lower School. Her husband, James R. Sloane, was President of the Board and the namesake for Sloane Field. The Sloane children are all BCD graduates: Wick in ’68, Kim in ’70, and Mary in ’72.
In a letter Mr. Lindenmaier that accompanied the gift, daughter Mary wrote, “Her years teaching at BCD were treasured memories and a highlight for her. BCD continues, under your leadership, to be the wonderful, creative and compassionate school it always has been,” said Mary, now a photographer in Sante Fe.
As BCD prepares for its 70th year, planned giving has become an effective way to secure its future. Over two dozen people have stated their intent to provide for BCD in estates, and in doing so, joined the “Brook Farm Society” named for the campus once owned by Anson Phelps Stokes. Former Trustee Philip Deely said, “Making a bequest like Kimmie’s to BCD helps ensure our valued institution will be here for generations to come.”
“Kimmie could bring out the best in people,” said Susan Merrill, a former BCD art teacher. “She gave my daughter a lot of extra time and taught her to knit. At five or six, Daisy was dyeing sheep’s wool and knitting it into a hat with a pom-pom.”
Friends and colleagues including Molly Boxer of Richmond, Celia Kittredge of Tyringham and Jane Ryan of Stockbridge are uniformly glowing as they recall memories of Mrs. Sloane from decades ago. “Kimmie was such principled woman who felt so strongly about education,” said Mrs. Boxer, a former BCD French teacher. “She loved being in the lives of the children at BCD.”
Mrs. Sloane died peacefully on May 5th at the age of 91. She is survived by her three children and five grandchildren Phoebe, Will, Sam, Claire, and Otto.
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About Berkshire Country Day School
Berkshire Country Day School, established in 1946 and located at 55 Interlaken Road in Stockbridge, MA, is an independent school for students in Preschool through Grade 9. For more information about the school, visit berkshirecountryday.org.
