Genevieve Via Cava used to joke about donating a million dollars one day and the retired teacher recently made good on her word. She amassed a small fortune over her lifetime by scrimping and saving and when she passed away, she left her savings to some of the people who meant the most to her - special education students.
Genevieve began at the school district as a teacher in 1945. She had a reputation of being kind and generous, according to NorthJersey.com. She helped parents, referring them to after-school groups aimed at helping special education students transition to daily life, and at times, helped former students find jobs.
While generous with her time and money to help others she was super frugal with money for herself even refusing to buy hearing aids when she began to lose her hearing.
Via Cava had no children of her own and spent most of her career teaching in the Dumont School District in New Jersey and she left them the million dollars like she said she would. Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, one special education student who’s moving on to post-high school education, like college or trade school, will be eligible for a $25,000 scholarship thanks to her gift. The money will stay in an interest-generating fund, so the district can continue to give the scholarship, Business Administrator Kevin Cartotto explains.
“She was very loving and won people over with her beautiful smile,” says Richard Jablonski, a close friend and executor of her will. “She’s leaving behind a lasting legacy.”