Scholars and Athletes

Kerry Fitzpatrick ’57 was among Peddie’s most loyal donors and most devoted and exuberant alumni. Though he kept a planned gift for the school under wraps for many years, the gift fit his style perfectly.
The late Kerry Fitzpatrick entered Peddie in 1955 as an 11th-grade boarding student, immediately flourishing in varsity football, baseball and basketball, and as a member of The Peddie News staff.

After graduation, Kerry remained deeply involved with Peddie, supporting athletics, faculty development, and serving as class secretary, reunion captain and even alumni director in the early 1980s. A founding member of the Bell Society in 1990, he celebrated 25 consecutive years of giving to The Peddie Fund in 2016.

Known for his dedication, he eagerly attended alumni events, once organizing a lunch with other local alumni when Head of School Peter Quinn visited St. Petersburg, Florida. As former planned giving director Regina Ketting put it, “Fitzpatrick was the sort of person who always made time for Peddie.

In 2015, Peddie learned that Fitzpatrick had created a trust — 80% of which would come to Peddie upon his passing — to establish the Kerry B. Fitzpatrick ’57 Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Today, with a market value of over $1.3 million, the Fitzpatrick Scholarship provides financial assistance to students enrolled at Peddie who excel in academics and athletics — students who not only bring talent and energy to Peddie’s athletic programs but also lead in the classroom, in dorm life and in the broader school community.

“The Fitzpatrick Scholarship Fund ensures that student-athletes with strong academic drive and athletic talent will continue to thrive here, just as he did,” said Director of Athletics Rich D’Andrea ’01. “We are incredibly grateful for his generosity and vision.”