A Smart Way to Give Back: Jackie and Richard Leach ’62 P ’94 Use Bequests to Honor Their Son and Support the Academy’s Future

Jackie and Richard Leach ’62 P ’94 share a good laugh remembering they were once accused by one of their children of caring about only two things: education and insurance.

Certainly, when it comes to education, they put their money where their values are, which is why they have each established bequests to benefit Thayer Academy.

Longtime annual donors, Richard and Jackie agree that creating a bequest is an easy and impactful way to support the Academy and its students. Their bequests will support Thayer’s endowment and a memorial fund established in honor of their son, Andrew, a Thayer alumnus who passed away suddenly in 2017. The Andrew P. Leach ’94 Memorial Fund provides funding for teacher development and student financial aid.

“Because our son had such a good experience there, that was a major motivator for us,” Jackie says. “He absolutely loved the school. He loved the classes. That was just him.”

Richard also had an excellent experience at Thayer where Mr. Seymour’s mathematics classes helped launch his successful careers in fire protection engineering, insurance, and finance.

Jackie and Richard urge other Thayer alumni to join them in making a planned gift to the Academy.

“For anyone who liked the school and got a lot out of it, making a gift really helps to afford the opportunity for other students as well,” Jackie says.

Richard agrees, especially noting the importance of supporting the Academy’s endowment and student financial aid.

“If you liked Thayer and benefited from it, then give back to it,” he says.