The Pennsbury Scholarship Foundation's Endowed Namesake Scholarships enable families and friends to honor a loved one through future Pennsbury graduates. Donations to the namesake fund accumulate until the $15,000 level is reached. The principal remains invested in a low-risk account and the interest supports a $1,000 namesake scholarship every year thereafter. Since 1998, a total of 52 namesake scholarships have been endowed in memory/honor of 48 individuals. Among them are 20 Pennsbury High School graduates. Read more about each scholarship below.

Edith Allen Memorial Scholarship 
(February 1999 by Nancy Allen and Family) Mrs. Allen was a long-time teacher and school psychologist with Pennsbury Schools. She was an avid reader, and kept active with tennis, golf, swimming, bridge, classroom volunteer, and extensive travel throughout the world.

Rick and Chris Block Memorial Scholarship 
(December 2009 by the Block Family and Friends) Rick was born Eric Jonathan Block in San Francisco in 1962.  His love for sports prevailed through his short life and leaves behind a legacy of basketball stats, which have been challenged for years.  After graduating from Pennsbury in 1980, and then from Lehigh University, Rick fulfilled his early dreams by entering the world of finance.  He became the youngest Vice President of a major bank in Pittsburgh, and went on to become CFO of a steel packaging company.  He married Diane Gensler and joyfully had a baby girl, Erica.  Six weeks later, he was killed in a small plane crash.  Although known by many for his athletic skills and scholarship, Rick will especially be remembered for the inspiration and love he shared with his family and friends.

Chris was born Christopher Laird Block in Trenton in 1967.  His love for all sports started as a very young child.  He emulated his older brother, Rick, while also forming his own athletic style.  As a 1985 Pennsbury graduate, Chris broke records in basketball, playing every game with intensity and always giving it his best.  After graduating from Lehigh University, he pursued a career in insurance.  He married Lisa Borresen, embracing the chance to take on instant and everyday fatherhood with her young daughters, Kelsey and Courtney.  His family grew quickly with the birth of his son, Austin, and daughter, Alex.  Chris balanced his laid-back personality with his extreme passion for so much in life, until he passed away from an undiagnosed heart condition.  Chris will be remembered for his humor, his intelligence, his caring and quiet, loving ways.

Dorothy O. Breen Memorial Scholarship  
(October 2010 by The Breen Family) Mrs. Breen was a longtime resident of Lower Makefield.  Her two children were graduates of Pennsbury High School.  She was a homemaker who spent countless hours volunteering in her community with such organizations as the Morrisville Library and Mercer Hospital. Like her husband, Glenn, she was an advocate of education.  Additionally, she was an avid reader and gardener who loved to travel.  Mrs. Breen is remembered for her sunny disposition and kindness to others.

F. Glenn Breen Memorial Scholarship  
(December 1998 by Dorothy Breen and Family) Mr. Breen was a local banker and insurance executive, and on the boards of numerous civic and professional organizations. His banking career included sponsoring a program to encourage school children to save money and earn interest through weekly deposits. Mr. Breen was a strong proponent of furthering one's education as a means for young people to take advantage of the opportunities available in our country. 

Dolores Carlen Memorial Scholarship  
(November 2018 by the Carlen Family & Friends) Dolores Carlen worked for 20 years in the Pupil Services Department of the Pennsbury School District before she retired to Florida. She was probably the first face many new students and their parents would become acquainted with when they came into the main office. Dolores was always an active volunteer in the community. Along with her work in Pupil Services, she supported all things Falcon—from helping in her children's classrooms, to supporting PHS sports, cheerleading, Sports Nite and the marching band. She appreciated the work that the PSF does to help students achieve their goals at the next level of education. Her four daughters were all Pennsbury graduates, and she was always proud that a PSF scholarship was established in her youngest daughter's name after she passed away of cancer in 2005. Dolores would be extremely pleased that a scholarship is now established in her name.  

John Edwin Cebular Memorial Scholarship  
(April 2023 by Linda Loseke) John Edwin Cebular was born in Bethlehem, PA and died in Long Beach, CA. After graduating from Pennsbury High School in 1963, he earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Utah State University. He built a home in Las Vegas, Nevada and his mountain-top vacation home in Beaver, Utah. Later on, he was a Contracting Officer for the Department of Defense and traveled the country to negotiate contracts. He loved classical music, cooking, driving his convertible, and visiting family and friends in Clearfield and State College, PA. John was loved by many, but his life was cut short at age 66, dying of undiagnosed melanoma. To honor John, please wear sunscreen.

Mark Chebra Memorial Scholarship  
(March 2018 by Ryan and Meredith Newman) Mark Chebra was born with a congenital heart defect that required multiple surgeries and the implantation of a pacemaker by the age of three years old. His condition never affected his fun-loving attitude or his enthusiasm for life.  He and his sisters, Kristin and Lori, attended Pennsbury schools. On January 19, 1989, when Mark was in the fifth grade, he unexpectedly collapsed and passed away while waiting for the school bus in his neighborhood of Wynnewood.  Mark’s passing was a shock to his family, friends, neighbors and the Pennsbury community. One of Mark’s proudest achievements was becoming a School Safety for Makefield Elementary School. Since his passing, the Chebra family, with the assistance of their close friend and neighbor, Linda Palsky, has recognized deserving students of Makefield Elementary School with a School Safety Award given in Mark’s name. Ryan Newman, Mark’s best friend, was with Mark when he passed away and has never forgotten him or the Chebra family. He and his wife, Meredith, both Pennsbury graduates, created this scholarship in Mark’s memory.   

Claire Connell Memorial Scholarship  
(April 2014 by David and Susan Connell, Family and Friends) – Claire M. Connell was born in Boston, MA and lived there before moving to Yardley, PA in 1967.  Claire earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Regis College and her Master of Education from Boston University. Claire’s belief that all young people should have an opportunity for a college education led her to serve on the Board of Directors of the Pennsbury Scholarship Foundation for 31 years.  She served as Vice President and President, and was bestowed the title of Director Emeritus in 2008. Claire’s compassionate manner also led her to join the Board of Directors of the UIH Family Partners. Claire was an avid reader and golfer, enjoyed traveling and was a devout Catholic.  Wife of the late William M. Connell, III, she is survived by a daughter, Kathleen; three sons, William, David, and Steven; and two grandchildren, Sean and Wills.

Nate DeTample Memorial Scholarships  
(October 2005 by Glenn and Kim DeTample, Family and Friends; November 2007 by the Makefield Women's Association and Pennsbury Community; November 2011 by the Makefield Women's Association and Pennsbury Community) Nate was an Eagle Scout, a wrestling letterman, and 2004 graduate of Pennsbury High School before entering his first year of college at Shippensburg University to study Criminal Justice. He was determined to try to make this a safer world, and completed his Army basic training at Fort Benning Georgia between his junior and senior years of high school. During his second semester of college, Nate was called to go to Iraq with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard and was Killed In Action outside of Bayji, Iraq on August 9, 2005. He is remembered as loving, encouraging, a great example for younger kids, and just an outstanding young man. Three endowed scholarships have been donated in his name. 

Peter Dierks Memorial Scholarship  
(December 2005 by Connie Dierks Family and Friends) Mr. Dierks was a Pennsbury parent and a molecular biologist who not only had a passion for science, but for learning new things in general and from the world around him. He was motivated to instill this passion for learning to his children and to everyone he met.

Michael E. Dolnick Memorial Scholarship 
(December 2008 by Family, Friends and the Pennsbury Community) Michael, a 1994 Pennsbury graduate, earned a B.S. degree in Wood Products with an emphasis in Business Administration from Penn State University's College of Agriculture in 1999.  He had an entrepreneurial spirit that helped propel him through his educational pursuits and into his career in information technology.  At the time of his death, he worked as a Senior Vice President of Business Development for SRC Solutions, a Xerox affiliate specializing in document management.  Michael was creative, hard working and loyal.  He had a heart of gold and loved life.  A beloved son, brother, uncle and friend, Michael gave to others without asking for anything in return. 

Dr. Joseph Farese Memorial Scholarship  
(April 2011 by Arlene Farese and Family) Dr. Joseph Farese served the Pennsbury School District for 38 years before retiring as Superintendent in 1989.  Prior to his death in 1994, he served on the PSF Board of Directors for several years, and was also an adjunct professor at Trenton State College.  Dr. Farese was a World War II veteran of the Army Air Corps, a member of the Fallsington American Legion Post #0834, a life member of the National Education Association and a member of Phi Beta Kappa.  Dr. Farese is remembered for his compassion, dedication to teaching, and his hands-on approach to his work.  He was a great husband to his wife, Arlene, as well as a wonderful father and grandfather.

Joan Falconi Farrell Memorial Scholarship 
(October 2005) Joan Farrell provided this endowment through her will. Mrs. Farrell was a dedicated English teacher for 33 years in Pennsbury, and was especially happy when she would find a child of a former student in her class.

Warren H. Gift Memorial Scholarship  
(August 2001 by Alice Gift and Family) Mr. Gift was a local businessman and very supportive of the Pennsbury Schools and community in many ways. He believed it was important for young people to continue their education. He was involved very early in major fundraisers that provided the initial funds for starting this organization, and served as its president.

Scott Noel Gitomer Memorial Scholarship  
(January 17, 2004 by Alan, Arlyne and Bryan Gitomer, Family and Friends) Scott was a 1994 graduate of Pennsbury High School and 1998 graduate of the University of Michigan, majoring in Communications and Finance. His choice of work was in the field of finance where he helped institute a computer system for the new Euro dollar, a research analyst where he focused on the energy sector, and then a trader where he planned to focus his career until a bout with cancer ended his life. Scott was an adored son and brother who considered his family among his close friends.

Bill Godshalk Memorial Scholarships  
(November 2001 and December 2005) Mr. Godshalk was a 1984 graduate of Pennsbury High School and a victim of the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York City . Because he was a successful, well-liked young businessman, and an avid sports fan, an endowed scholarship was donated by the Philadelphia "76ers" as a tribute to his life and his being a role model for future Pennsbury graduates. Ms. Aleese Hartmann was Bill's fiancée who, along with her coworkers and friends, also gave an endowed scholarship in loving memory of Bill. In December 2005 the "Grace and Bond Godshalk Family and Friends" namesake scholarship was completed, making three endowed scholarships in Bill's memory. 

Cathleen Jones Haas Memorial Scholarship 
(April 2022 by The Jones Family)  Cathleen graduated from Pennsbury High School in 2000, received her Bachelor’s degree from Susquehanna University in 2004 and her Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from West Chester University in 2008. While a student in the Pennsbury School District, Cathleen especially enjoyed participating in the Music and Forensics programs, and she was grateful for the opportunity to travel with the Marching Band to Hawaii.

Cathleen was employed by ARC of Montgomery County. She fulfilled her passion by working with infants to three-year-old children and their parents to help overcome feeding and speech difficulties. Cathleen married G. Patrick Haas in 2010 and had a son, Ryan, in 2014. She passed away from cancer at a much too early an age in 2018. Cathleen will always be remembered as a loving, compassionate, creative, intelligent woman by her family, friends, and the many families she impacted.   

E. Paul Hartsfield Memorial Scholarship 
(December 2008 by The Hartsfield Family and Friends)  Mr. Hartsfield served on the PSF Board of Directors for 20 years, and was instrumental in helping the Foundation grow to its current size.  As a father and local business executive, he was passionate about helping children who otherwise would not be able to afford a college education.  In addition to the PSF, Paul served for six years on the Pennsbury School Board, and was active in the Morrisville Presbyterian Church, Rotary International, Citizens for Equitable Taxation, and the American Chemical Society.  His family considers this scholarship a fitting tribute to all of the contributions Paul made to his community. 

William H. and Anna C. Hayes Memorial Scholarships  
(1968 - income began from a charitable trust set up under the Hayes' will in 1957) Mr. Hayes was a local businessman and developer in the 1950's when Lower Bucks County was beginning to be transformed from farms to residential areas. The Hayes donation gave the Foundation its first major financial boost, and with it came the criteria for awarding scholarships still used today.

Heisler Family Scholarship  
(April 2022 by Gordon & Barbara Heisler) Gordon and Barbara Heisler feel a strong commitment to helping students meet their educational goals. Too often, goals and opportunities are side-lined because of the financial burden of higher education. Giving to local students is their way of investing in the future of our community.

After graduating from TCNJ, Barbara spent her career teaching Special Education students in Bucks County. Gordon graduated from Rider College. His career was in logistics with Sunoco Inc., where he saw firsthand the need for highly qualified college graduates and skilled technical workers. Their daughter, Kimberly Heisler Quay, graduated from Pennsbury High School in 1988. She is the Chef/owner of ComfortFood & Kitchenette in Falls Twp. Their grandchildren, Danny and Cecelia Quay, graduated from PHS in 2018 and 2020, respectively. They are currently attending college.  

Judy Henke Memorial Scholarship  
(June 2018 by The Henke Family) Judy was a wife and mother of two boys, Jeffrey and Matthew, both Pennsbury students. She lived life to the fullest and was actively involved with many friends and activities. She traveled the world, which included living in Bermuda for a decade. What makes this so remarkable is that she did so while being afflicted with MS for the last 19 years of her life, much of which was spent in a wheelchair. She will be remembered for the inspiration that she gave to those who knew her and to those who may be suffering a similar debilitating condition. Her bright and warm smile was a constant, and she was never without it. No complaints were ever heard from her lips. This truly remarkable person is an inspiration for her courage and optimism, and she is missed every day. 

Matthew Henke Memorial Scholarship  
(January 2014 by The Henke Family) Matt was a 2005 graduate of Pennsbury High School. He went on to obtain a B.S. from Drexel University, where he developed a strong desire to be a doctor. He obtained an M.S. in Medical Science and had completed his first year at the Pennsylvania College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM). Matt died suddenly as he was preparing to leave for his job assisting the elderly. He was engaged to be married at the time of his death. Matt had a strong love of music and had a guitar or a drumstick in his hand when he had a free moment. He also had developed a real passion for the Flyers. Matt was warm, caring and thoughtful. He had a way of making those he knew feel very special to him. He was loved by many and will be missed by all. 

Dr. Patricia Johnston Memorial Scholarship 
(April 2009 & April 2022 by The Norma Johnston Family and Friends)  Dr. Patricia Johnston will long be remembered in the Pennsbury School District and across Bucks County as an educator who made a difference in the lives of countless students, counselors and administrators.  Pat was a lifelong resident and graduate of Pennsbury, where she served as Director of Curriculum and Instruction from 1998 until 2003, and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction from 2003 until 2008. She was a champion of student literacy, excellence in professional development and preeminence in curriculum.  Prior to 1998, Pat taught in the Centennial School District, where her passion for education inspired many students and teachers.  In addition, Pat was an adjunct professor at Delaware Valley College, and the University of Pennsylvania, and was a regular contributor to the Bucks County Intermediate Unit.  A colleague, mentor and friend to hundreds of educational professionals, she influenced the careers of many respected teachers and administrators. Pat's compassionate manner and kind personality belied her work ethic, uncompromising dedication to education and her untiring service to the community where she lived and worked. There are two endowed scholarships in memory of Dr. Johnston.

Charles P. Kane Memorial Scholarship 
(September 2023 by Family, Friends, and Former Football Players)  Charles P. Kane, Jr. was raised at St. Vincent's Orphanage and Saint Joe's House in Philadelphia, PA. By the age of 16, Chuck understood that "Family" came in various forms. Although he did not have a traditional family, he always felt supported and safe. Priests, teachers, and coaches were always within reach to support him, listen to his concerns, offer guidance, and help him realize his full potential.

At age sixteen, Chuck returned to his home in Collingdale and continued to receive guidance and support from his Collingdale High School football coach, Lou Bonder. Bonder guided Chuck in applying to West Chester State Teachers College, including earning a football scholarship to help cover the cost of tuition. Chuck earned a degree majoring in Physical Education with a minor in Social Studies. At the same time, he earned recognition as a West Chester Hall of Fame College Athlete. Also while attending West Chester, Chuck met the love of his life, Myrna Neeld, a Pennsbury Graduate.  Chuck and Myrna married, raised three children, and celebrated 65 joyful years of life together.

After graduating from West Chester Teachers College, Myrna gave her husband as an "Alumni Gift" to Pennsbury. Chuck started his career with Pennsbury in 1959 and taught in the district for 40 years. Chuck loved teaching and he was extremely passionate about coaching football. He recognized that he was not a “self-made man” and sincerely appreciated the support he received throughout his lifetime. Chuck knew that as an educator and coach, he could fulfill his lifelong dream of helping others achieve their potential, just as he had received so much guidance himself.

Coach Chuck Kane was proud to be a part of the Pennsbury Family. He would be honored to be remembered through these scholarships.  Far more meaningful to him, though, would be the knowledge that, through the generosity of family, friends, and former football players, these funds will help to support Pennsbury graduates in realizing their own full potential. Teachers and coaches were always within reach to support him, listen to his concerns, offer guidance, and help him realize his full potential.

Hank Keller Memorial Scholarship 
(December 2007 by Wendy Keller, Al & Janis Keller, Family, Friends and Colleagues)  Hank Keller was a 1969 graduate of Pennsbury and a teacher from 1975 until 2006. Hank will be remembered as a teacher, a mentor and an advisor. He loved golf, bowling, woodworking, singing and the theatrical productions at Pennsbury. But most of all he loved the kids he taught. He often referred to them as "My Kids." He was always there for them with a kind word of encouragement, helping them strive to be the best they could be, and as a teacher who made learning fun. He was involved with the Theatrical Program and Service Learning Program at Pennsbury. He wanted the kids to think about others and to give back to make the world a better place. Hank ended each class with his favorite saying, "Go be the good people." He followed in his parents' footsteps as a teacher, and was very proud of the Keller family legacy at Pennsbury. 

Keller Family Memorial Scholarship  
(March 2014 by Wendy Keller, Family and Friends) The Keller Family Memorial Scholarship was established to honor the family’s proud legacy within the Pennsbury School District.  In 1955, Al and Caroline Keller moved with their young family from western Pennsylvania to begin new careers within the Pennsbury.  Al taught business in the district until his retirement in 1975.  Caroline taught music and was Pennsbury’s Music Director until her early death in 1970.  Both were integral parts of the district in its early days, participated in extra-curricular activities, and were active in scouting and their church. 

Their oldest son, Al, graduated from Pennsbury High School in 1967.  After receiving his undergraduate degree from the College of William and Mary and his MBA from Seton Hall University, his career included banking, investment management and real estate development.  Their younger son, Henry, graduated from Pennsbury in 1969 and earned his teaching degree from West Chester State College.  He taught in various positions within the district until his death in 2006.  Henry’s wife, Wendy, established a PSF scholarship in Henry’s name in 2006.  Family and friends continue to honor the memory and legacy of all four Kellers through these two endowments.