Some gifts are random – Melvin Penfield’s donation of $15,700 to Maxwell Memorial Library in Camillus was anything but.
Melvin died in January of 2009 at the age of 87 and left 2.5 percent of his estate to the library, a place he often called home.
Melvin was known to come into the library every morning to read newspapers and make conversation. Every morning, he would leave his copy of the Wall Street Journal for the library’s use, and when he became too ill to come to the library, his son Aric continued the task.
Melvin was a library board member and treasurer for 30 years, stepping down in 2005 when he was named emeritus trustee. The size of his donation to the library came as a big surprise to library director Katy Benson.
“I could hardly believe it,” Benson said. “It had been almost two years since we’d first heard about the bequest, and I just figured it would come to a couple hundred dollars, if anything came at all.”
Benson received a letter containing the donation’s details during the library’s annual holiday party hosted by trustees for staff and volunteers. She was thrilled to announce it then.
“I felt like we’d hit the lottery,” she said.
This windfall, however, had nothing to do with luck.
“It came from a man who had served Maxwell Library in various volunteer capacities for some 30 years, and who had really loved it,” Benson said. “Mr. Penfield’s resulting generosity is humbling.”
Benson isn’t sure how the donation will be used, but said the library has an ongoing wish list of projects that include repairs, capital improvements and upgrading equipment.
“It will be well used,” Benson said.
