$50,000 endowment established at RCC in honor of Bowen Family
Robeson Community College is pleased to announce that the RCC Foundation has received a $50,000 gift that will establish ‘The Bowen Family: Lonnie, Dorothy, Woody Memorial Endowment.’
The gift has been bestowed to the college by Toni Bowen Sacry, and her husband Jeffrey Scott Sacry of Lumberton, in honor of her Father (Lonnie Norwood Bowen), Mother (Dorothy Pittman Bowen), and Brother (Lonnie Norwood Bowen II aka Woody).
“I am the last surviving member of my nuclear family,” said Toni Sacry. “After my father’s passing, being the last surviving member, I wanted to create an endowed scholarship in memory of my family, leaving a legacy at RCC in memory of my parents and brother.”
Toni’s brother, Woody, died in 1986 at the young age of 19 in a motorcycle accident. He had just joined the National Guard and came back from boot camp when the accident occurred. Her mother died ten years later in 1996 at the age of 55, and her father passed away in 2020 at the age of 81.
“My parents were big supporters of education,” said Toni. “My father helped to support my first cousins in attending college, so I wanted to continue their legacy of hard work and education. Education coupled with hard work is how you provide for yourself.”
She added, “I think education is a path to financial stability, understanding, and compassion.”
Many may remember Toni from Robeson Community College. She worked at RCC for 17 years as the Director of Institutional Effectiveness and also served as a faculty member in the psychology department from 2003 until she retired in 2021. Before that, Toni worked for 10 years for the Department of Corrections. Her husband Jeffrey was an electrician at Southeastern Health.
“The Bowen Family instilled the value of education in their children,” said Jessica Bullard, Foundation Director at RCC. “Their legacy lives on through Toni, and this gift she and her husband leaves to honor their memory will provide educational opportunities for generations to come.”
The scholarship will be available to support students in college transfer programs, health sciences, and basic law enforcement training. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher to be eligible.
“We are extremely grateful for this gift from Toni and Jeffery Sacry,” said RCC President Melissa Singler. “This gift will make a huge impact upon our students and our community, and we are so thankful for their support of Robeson Community College and our mission.”
