Donald and Geraldine McCaskie Memorial Scholarship

This permanent endowment scholarship was established by Donald R. McCaskie and his family after 38 years of service to the Franklin Pierce School District.

The Donald and Geraldine McCaskie Scholarship is intended to encourage and assist two graduating seniors from any high school in the Franklin Pierce School District to enter training in a vocational-technical training program or a professional/technical program at a community college in Washington State.

• Each recipient must have attended Brookdale Elementary at least one full academic year.
• Each recipient must be a graduating senior with a record of good attendance.
• Recipients should be entering into training in a vocational-technical training program or a professional/technical program at a community college in Washington State.

Each school’s scholarship committee will select a nominee for this scholarship and submit the name to the Foundation. If more than one high school has a qualified recipient, then the Foundation will make the final selection. Two alternates shall be selected annually and the scholarship shall be awarded to those individuals if the primary award winners does not meet the requirements of the scholarship.

About Donald R. and Geraldine N. McCaskie

Donald (Don) was born in Tacoma in 1931. His early years formed his work ethic and future choices. He started out in the Tacoma Vocational School as a gasoline and diesel mechanic. This was also his interest in the military where he was in the Naval Reserves as a Fighting Seabee. He joined the Seabees at 16 just after the end of World War II. He stayed in through the end of the Korean Conflict, leaving in 1953. He then went on to the University of Washington to become an educator. During that time he also worked as a brakeman on the Northern Pacific Railway. He kept this part time railroad job even during his teaching career. Don believed that education and hard work were the keys to success and opportunities in life.

Geraldine (Gerry) was originally from Baltimore, Maryland. She started her teaching career in 1951 after attending Sullens College, Richmond Professional Institute and Johns Hopkins University. Gerry had the adventuresome spirit and for the next few years taught in Virginia, Maryland, Michigan, and in the wild frontier of Wyoming before making a big trek to Bremerhaven, Germany.

Don and Gerry were both teaching for the U.S. Government in Germany when they met in 1960. The next year after they had fulfilled their contracts, they decided to move back to Washington State and continued their teaching careers there. They landed in the Lakewood area where they decided to set down their roots and start a family.

On their arrival in Washington, Gerry started teaching at Harvard Elementary School and then moved to Christensen Elementary School. She decided to leave in 1962 to raise a family. Don came back to his previous teaching job in the Franklin Pierce School District, where he originally started in 1957. Don went on to teach at Midland Elementary, Washington High and Brookdale Elementary Schools. Don finally retired in 1995 after 38 years in teaching, most with the Franklin Pierce School District.

Don and Gerry decided to give forward the opportunity to the future generations of bright and hardworking students of the Franklin Pierce School district. They always said “Life is about opportunity.” This scholarship is their way of giving that “opportunity” forward to the future generations. In 2006 Don, Gerry, and their son Ray started the McCaskie Family Scholarship through the Franklin Pierce Foundation. Because Don had come through the vocational system himself, and felt that there were lots of scholarships for college bound students but not enough for vocational bound graduates, he made vocational/technical training the emphasis of this scholarship.

Their very generous donation of a large investment fund was reinvested by the Foundation and the interest continues to fund the two annual scholarships. Don also served on the Foundation’s Board of Directors from 2006 to 2014.

Upon Don’s death in 2015, his son Ray requested the name of the scholarship be changed to honor his father and mother. Gerry passed away in 2017.

• Receipt of a completed Scholarship Acceptance Form will hold this scholarship for the student. The scholarship can be held no longer than 16 months after June 30th of the year of graduation from high school.
• Upon receipt of Proof of Enrollment Form including a student ID number, funds will be released to the institution in the name of the student.