Volunteers often toil behind the scenes for the benefit of others, yet never seek recognition. Their dedication is focused on helping the needy, healing the sick and lending a hand to the disadvantaged. These wonderful examples of selfless dedication to community service in the White Bear Lake and Mahtomedi area do not go unnoticed. The J. Stanley and Doris Hill Legacy Award was created in 2006 to recognize those who have spent a lifetime actively engaged in local and greater community service.
THE INSPIRATION
Longtime Mahtomedi resident Stan Hill, who also lived in White Bear Lake for 20 years,has often been called a brilliant man. Born in 1914, Hill graduated from White Bear High School at 15 years old. Depression-era economics put college out of reach, but despite his lack of a university degree, Hill was a lifelong learner. He worked as an actuary for Minnesota Mutual Insurance for 37 years. After retirement as vice president of administration, Hill went on to become a consultant for many businesses in need of his financial expertise. Many of Hill’s clients were charitable organizations, and over time, Hill took on more and more nonprofit clients, often charging very nominal fees.
His career was accompanied by his constant community service. “He was never on the fringe,” says Hill’s son, George. “Unless Stan could make a difference, he wouldn’t get involved.”
Stan’s wife Doris shared his dedication to volunteerism, even as she worked at home full time raising their five children. Doris served as church secretary for more than 30 years at Lake Drive Methodist Church in Mahtomedi. “She knew enough about preparing and mailing newsletters to offer advice to other nonprofits,” says George.
Stan and Doris’s community service was wide-ranging. After Stan Hill’s death in 2005, George discovered a list of 41 charitable organizations his parents had been involved with over the years. Some were short term, others garnered Hill’s long-term commitment, like the Minnesota Math League, where Hill served as treasurer for 50 years.
At the heart of much of the Hillses’ charitable work was education. “Stan realized how hard he had to work to make up for his lack of a college degree,” says George.“He also knew times had changed and that it had become near impossible in the modern era to achieve similar success without a solid post-secondary education.”
It is fitting, then, that three education foundations—Century College Foundation, Mahtomedi Area Educational Foundation and the White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation—recognize the Hillses’ commitment to education along with their lifelong community service and create an award to honor not only Stan and Doris’s legacy, but the work of others like them.
THE AWARD
The eighth recipient of the J. Stanley and Doris Hill Legacy Award will be announced this spring. Recipients are those who have given many years of active service to greater and local communities, including one or more of the communities encompassed by the White Bear Lake Area and Mahtomedi school districts and the Century College Foundation service area.
The J. Stanley and Doris Hill Legacy Award committee board is made up of representatives from each foundation. Nancy Roth, a volunteer for the White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation, has served on the committee since its inception. “We get many nominees from across the board,” says Roth. “Our committee has never had a disagreement about who the recipients should be. There are many qualified candidates and we strive to acknowledge a person’s service regardless of whether they are publicly known or unknown, so long as they are active in local community service, but also serve the greater community as a whole.”
Nominations are being accepted through February 22 and anyone can nominate. Simply visit the website of any of the three sponsoring foundations for a nomination form.An award ceremony and reception honoring this year’s recipient will be held at Century College and will be open to the public in May.
“One of the best parts of my job is contacting the people we’ve selected,” says Roth. “In some cases, I already know the person. Other times, I’m getting to know them for the first time. It’s a great opportunity to learn more about these wonderful people.” Roth has discovered when meeting each award recipient that humility is a trait that defines each of them. “They are all so humble,” she says.“Our committee feels lucky when recipients agree to accept the award.”
Award winners:
2007: William Rust
2008: TheodoreBlaesing
2009: Ellen Bruner
2010: Lori Ahlness
2011: Carol McFarlane
2012: Jackie Reis
2013: Keith Warner
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J. Stanley Hill and Doris Hill Legacy Award nomination forms can be found at:
White Bear Lake Area Educational Foundation: wblaef.org
Mahtomedi Area Educational Foundation: maefgives.org
Century College Foundation: century.edu/foundation
