Brian Frary had the foresight to think of the future when he left a gift in his Will to Monash University in support of scholarships, after sadly passing away in 2021.
Born in 1937 in Essex, Brian grew up in war-time London. An only child, he remembers these years vividly and recounts a story where he survived a bombing raid. His mother decided to move his bed before going to sleep one night, in the morning where his bed used to be was a large triangular piece of glass impaled vertically in the floor. With his mother’s foresight, he led a full life, emigrating to Australia in 1979.
When discussing his bequest, Brian was clear that he wanted to honour his parents. As his father was a keen gardener, and his mother with a talent for arithmetic, he created scholarships in their fields of passion.
Brian was able to ensure his family’s legacy would live on for decades to come through this gift.
They always wanted me to stay on at school and go on to University, but as older parents, they were struggling financially by that stage and I felt I had to contribute by getting a job. Working and studying at the same time is a hard task as well as taking many years to achieve. There are still so many students in that situation. That’s why I wanted to help undergraduates who have the necessary intellectual ability to complete their honours degree, but not the financial means. One will be known as the Ivy Frary Scholarship in Mathematics and the other as the Benjamin Frary Scholarship in Botanical Sciences.
Nell Glover – 2024 scholarship recipient
“Without the Benjamin Frary Scholarship, I would not have had the financial stability to complete my fieldwork whilst living out of home and juggling living expenses and my studies. My financial standing was a driving stressor in whether I could undertake my project, despite how much I wanted to accomplish it. This scholarship means a great deal to me, as I feel that I have been able to focus on my research, contribute meaningful science to conservation, and further develop my love for ecology and conservation biology.”
Anthony Pisani – 2024 scholarship recipient
“Thank you sincerely for the support you have offered in the Ivy May Frary Mathematical Sciences Scholarship. The profound difference it has already made and will surely continue to make for me in the coming months is one I can only hope will be borne out in my future academic career.”
What legacy will you leave?
If you would like to leave a gift in your Will providing educational opportunities to students just like Nell, we invite you to get in touch to discuss the possibilities and help build your vision for the future. Please email me at sally.deguingand@monash.edu or phone me on +61 3 9903 4395. It would be my pleasure to discuss your preferences with you.