H. Dennis Everly Fund

A teacher and guidance counselor by profession, a man of faith, a musician at heart. When Dennis Everly makes a commitment, he follows through.

Dennis spent 31 years in the Quincy Public Schools as a teacher, vocational coordinator, and guidance counselor. “One of the best educational experiences that I had was a General Electric Guidance Fellowship. I was one of 50 counselors that interviewed employees at the Louisville plant to see what kind of education they had, their job satisfaction and other things to assist us as we counseled our students.”

Dennis became familiar with the Community Foundation when a financial advisor suggested he and others consider bringing the Becky Swisher Crowe Memorial Scholarship to the Community Foundation. Becky was a fellow teacher who died in 1979 while driving to school. Colleagues wanted to insure that her fund continued to honor her memory while helping students pursue a degree in education. It does.

As a 55-year member of Grace United Methodist Church, Dennis helped guide its members when the church closed. He had joined at age 14 when the church was on Fifth & Lind Streets in Quincy. “As our members aged, I felt they needed me,” he said about eventually working through the process of closing and selling the church, which had moved to 48th Street. With the proceeds from the property sale and the benefit of an estate gift, church members ensured its legacy by establishing the Grace United Methodist Church of Quincy Fund.

Following his retirement, Dennis thought about what has mattered to him. “Music has been a big thing to me,” he said. He played clarinet in high school and college, taught private clarinet and saxophone lessons, and performed with various dance bands, in the Quincy Symphony for three years and the Quincy Park Band for 17 years. So after working with Becky’s fund and helping the church establish a legacy, he decided he wanted to serve another of his interests and commitments.

“I wanted this fund to support the Quincy Park Band because of my musical background,” he said. “When we played, we played three months of summer and money was a concern then. So, I figured this might help them get more music and play more concerts.”

To teacher, servant, and musician, he can now add philanthropist.

To learn more about Quincy Park Band visit its website: www.quincyparkband.com.