New CFGNB Scholarship To Honor Lifelong New Britain Residents

New Britain, Conn., August 23, 2022 – The Community Foundation of Greater New Britain is proud to announce a newly established scholarship fund, the John & Sylvia Fredericks Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Gary Fredericks, John and Sylvia’s son, came to the Foundation wanting to honor his parents’ life and legacy and established the new fund in their memory.

John and Sylvia were lifelong New Britain residents, hard-working, caring, honest, and beloved by family and friends. Family was everything to them, Christmas was their favorite holiday, and they were very patriotic.

John served in the Army during World War II and Korea. Later in life, he was active serving on various commissions including as a police commissioner, but was best known for dressing up as Uncle Sam for parades and events city- and state-wide, including President Reagan’s visit to New Britain on July 8, 1987. John passed away November 30, 2003. Sylvia said, “We’re decorating the tree in red, white, and blue this year!” and the tradition carried on every year following.

Sylvia worked at Fafnirs for 39 years assembling ball bearings. She could cook or bake anything and no one could make a pie like her. A day after celebrating her 89th birthday, she suffered a ruptured aneurysm. Six months later, she was working on her hands and knees in the garden. Even into her 90s, she was still gardening, making 20+ pies and 40 turnovers during summer, and over 1600 cookies at Christmas, so she could give cookies to her family and friends. Sylvia loved bingo, was a big UCONN women’s basketball fan, looked amazing for her age, and was a once in a lifetime mom. She passed away on November 30, 2020 at 94 years young.

“This fund is the best way I can think to honor them. I hope the impact they had on me can help students pursue their careers and encourage them to have a positive impact on others, and always be there for their parents when they need help,” said Gary.

The purpose of this fund is to enable recipients to attend schools of higher education including accredited colleges, universities, technical or trade schools.

One or more scholarship(s) per year shall be awarded to high school seniors or previous graduates of high schools (public or private) who meet the following eligibility criteria:
• Graduating seniors or previous graduates of Avon, Berlin, Bristol, Farmington, New Britain, Newington, Plainville, Southington and Wethersfield High School(s), or any successor thereto.
• Students must be pursuing a degree or certificate program in the field of Nursing, Physical Therapy, Law Enforcement, or be accepted to a United States Military Academy such as The USMA at West Point, U.S. Naval Academy, U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, or U.S. Merchant Marine Academy. (Awardees accepted to a military academy will have their award applied to their academy account for expenses the cadet is responsible for where possible). Students attending Medical Schools for an advanced degree in medicine are also eligible to apply.
• Students must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average to apply.
• Students are to demonstrate that they are hardworking, community, and family oriented like those the scholarship is named for.
• Preference will be given to students attending the University of Connecticut in one of the noted degree or certificate programs.
Awardees from previous years are eligible to apply for renewed scholarships in subsequent years so long as they meet all scholarship criteria (i.e. continued pursuit of a degree in the fields listed previously, maintain a B average overall, a student in good standing at the institution where coursework is being pursued).

If you would like to make a gift to the John & Sylvia Fredericks Memorial Scholarship Fund, you can send a check payable to CFGNB to 74 Vine Street, New Britain, CT 06052 with “Fredericks” in the memo line, or you can make a gift online at www.cfgnb.org/john-sylvia-fredericks-memorial-scholarship-fund.

The Foundation is honored to carry out John and Sylvia’s legacy. If you are interested in establishing your own fund or scholarship, please contact David Obedzinski, CFGNB President, at 860-229-6018, ex. 306 or david@cfgnb.org.

Established in 1941, the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain is “Where Good Begins” in Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington and is your destination for establishing a scholarship or charitable fund in your community. The Foundation works to inspire philanthropy, responsibly manage permanent charitable assets, and partner to address key community issues through strategic leadership.