Donor impacts science education through his will
A man who earned his first dollar shining shoes and taught himself to invest in stocks left nearly half his estate to Van Andel Institute for Education upon his death.
Arthur Joseph Jabury's gift — designated to support the Institute for Education — took the Institute completely by surprise, as there has been no prior communication about the intended gesture while Jabury was alive.
"Mr. Jabury's quiet generosity is an incredible inspiration," remarked David Van Andel, chairman and CEO of Van Andel Institute. "His acknowledgment of the Institute's impact on science education is received with great gratitude."
Humble beginnings
Jabury, who died in October 2014, was born in 1927 and raised on Grand Rapids' lower west side. As a pre-teen, he worked as a shoeshine boy along Monroe Avenue. He graduated from Grand Rapids Union High School, served in the U.S. Army, and then graduated with a degree in business administration from the University of Michigan in 1953 on the G.I. Bill. Jabury spent his career in accounting and personnel at General Motors Fisher Body plant on Alpine Avenue NW. He and his wife had no children. After he was widowed, he and retired educator Dorothy Broekstra became companions. Jabury had been best friends since youth with Dorothy's late husband, Bob, and the couples often socialized.
During their more than 20 years together, Broekstra helped Jabury keep meticulous financial records. According to Broekstra, Jabury conducted his own research into VAI in the same thorough way he explored investment opportunities.
"I remember when he talked about the upcoming Medical Mile and the role Van Andel Institute had in helping make it happen," she said. "Art believed in the research and education being conducted at the Institute, especially since he was himself faced with heart and lung disease."
Interested in learning more about planned giving at VAI? Visit vai.org/plannedgiving or contact Kate Frillmann, Philanthropy Director, at [email protected] or (616) 234-5515.