ELMWOOD – Patrick (Pat) McKernon was beloved. Family, friends and colleagues remember him as an uncommonly kind, caring and generous person. When he died in September 2023, his final gift of generosity came as a massive surprise to those who knew him and the St. Croix Valley Foundation.

McKernon left a testamentary gift to SCVF, ensuring that more than $1.7 million would be stewarded professionally to provide scholarships to students graduating from Elmwood High School, his alma mater, and adults residing in Pierce County who are returning to school.

“This gift is astounding in the best way,” said SCVF President and CEO Heather Logelin. “While we didn’t know Pat, we know he valued education and enjoyed giving others the opportunity to pursue their dreams. We are humbled that Pat chose us to steward his legacy and we’re excited about the impact the McKernon Scholarship Fund will have on students in Pierce County.”

Established as an endowed scholarship fund, the McKernon Scholarship Fund will be invested professionally for long-term growth, with a portion of earnings available for scholarships each year. SCVF staff are working with McKernon’s family members to ensure that his intentions are honored and that his gift will forever support this opportunity for higher education.

“The amount of the gift was surprising, only because we never discussed his finances,” said his niece-in-law Jill McKernon. “It was not out of character, though, because Pat was a very generous person. He graduated from Elmwood High School and knew he wanted his gift to serve that community, so I’m sure he did his research on the best foundation to serve his needs.

Pat’s twin brother Michael (Mike) McKernon did not know that Pat planned to establish a scholarship through his estate. The gift, said Mike, is true to Pat’s nature in every way: It fulfilled his love of giving back and he brought absolutely no attention to it.

Elmwood Superintendent Dr. Glenn H. Webb is astounded and touched by the generosity of McKernon’s gift.

It is really hard to put into words what this gift means to the students, staff, and community of Elmwood,” Webb said. “The generosity is amazing and the legacy Pat has left behind is truly legendary. We don't have many details at this point, as we just learned of this gift yesterday (May 13), but we know Pat will impact the future of Elmwood graduates forever.”

Mike recalled the impact Elmwood had on their lives, fondly reliving their experiences growing up in the village of 800 in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Mike and Pat – along with sisters Mary and Jan – graduated from Elmwood High School. Their father was both a teacher and a coach in the district, coaching the boys in baseball and football. Mike said of the 24 boys in their freshmen class, 23 went out for football.

“We knew everyone in our class,” Mike said. “We pretty much knew everyone in the high school. We could go out on our bikes and we could be out of town, into the woods in any direction within a five to 10-minute bike ride. We did that a lot.”

After high school, Pat attended UW-River Falls and settled there, just 30 miles from his hometown. He worked in IT for 3M where he was both liked and deeply respected by his coworkers.

“They held him in very, very high regard,” said Mike. “He was really sharp, very organized and just so obviously easy to work with, and that’s what I love to hear.”

Pat was also a pillar in the McKernon family, showing up for sporting events, serving as a father figure, caring for aging relatives and even letting a niece live with him while she attended UWRF. He never married nor had children, but his nieces, nephews and their children were dear to him. Niece-in-law Jill remembers that Pat’s kindness and generosity were always on full display.

“Pat was a wonderful gift giver,” said Jill, who lives in South Carolina with her husband Sam and their three kids. “He loved to give experience gifts – tickets to events and things like that. He was another grandpa to our kids. They called him Gruncle Pat for ‘great uncle ‘ or ‘grandpa uncle.’ He loved to golf and spend time with his friends and family.”

Pat’s love for sports, activities and family came through in other ways too.

“He came to everything we did,” said Mike. “Family vacations, we’d go to Packer games, we’d go to a Badger game every year. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter. We’d go on vacations, and we’d always invite him. He went to Final Four basketball games, he went to the US Open…”

Golfing took Pat on trips to the United Kingdom, while fishing brought him to Canada on an annual fishing and houseboat trip with some of his closest friends, a 30-year tradition.

“Pat was an organizer and he organized the boat trip,” Mike said. “They started going up and they camped in tents, then they started making a little extra money and going on this houseboat, and they never, ever pitched tents again.”

In June, Pat’s friends will make their annual trip to Canada to spend time fishing in the houseboat. This year, the group has given the adventure a somber new name: The Patrick McKernon Memorial Trip. Mike knows that Pat will be remembered dearly by his friends, colleagues and family members. And thanks to his final generous gift, the McKernon Scholarship Fund will continue to honor Pat’s legacy of generosity for graduates of Elmwood High School and adult learners in Pierce County forever.

Submitted by St. Croix Valley Foundation