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Senior Star
Will of 102-Year-Old Janitor, Dry
Cleaner Leaves $2.3 Million to University
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| Genesio and
Luille Morlacci in front of their dry cleaning store. |
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Nov. 16, 2004 Genesio Morlacci died
at 102 on Halloween, after spending most of his life in the dry cleaning
business but his later years as a part-time janitor for the University
of Great Falls, a private Catholic institution in Great Falls, Montana.
It was announced yesterday he left $2.3 million to the
university, the largest gift in the schools history.
"He only had a third-grade education, but he knew
his numbers," Morlacci's longtime friend Bill Foy told the Great Falls
Tribune. "He wasn't afraid to work hard."
Born in Italy, Morlacci came to Sand Coulee as a
young man to help his father, Giustino, manage a tavern. By the time he
opened Sun Cleaners in 1948, he had already worked in dry cleaning for
20 years, according to the report by Paula Wilmot.
"He did it all the pickup, delivery, cleaning,
pressing. The only hired help was a cashier," Foy said.
According to Foy, Morlacci went to work as a
janitor at UGF after he sold his business.
"He worked four hours a day. That was just what he
wanted. When he refused to work full-time, they fired him," Foy said.
"Isn't that something?"
McAllister said Morlacci's appreciation for getting
an education was enormous.
Morlacci's will directed 95 percent of the $2.3
million for scholarships and gave the university discretion for the
other 5 percent.
I am very pleased to announce this afternoon that
the University of Great Falls is the beneficiary of a $2.3 million gift
from the estate of Mr. Genesio Morlacci. This is the largest single gift
ever received by the University. President Eugene McAllister announced
November 15, 2004, at a press conference celebrating the gift.
This is an
extraordinary gift from an extraordinary man. Mr. Morlacci was an
immigrant from Italy, who was raised in Tracy, Montana. Although he had
roughly the equivalent of a third grade education, he placed enormous
value on education. As he described it, getting the paper. He was also a
strong supporter of Catholic Institutions, he added.
"I'd like to see us use the money strategically to
mirror Morlacci's life," McAllister said. The money should help needy
students with great aspirations, he added.
Morlacci met his wife, Lucille, in Walkerville. He
was in his late 40s when they married April 14, 1951; she died in 1997.
He had nieces, nephews and cousins in the Midwest, but the couple had no
children.
They lived frugally, Foy said. They rented out the
basement of their home and never drove a fancy car.
"He patched the patches on his pants and turned the
collars on his shirts," Foy said. A common practice during the
Depression, "turning collars" doubled the life of a shirt by removing
the collar and restitching it in place with the frayed side down.
"When Gene got rid of clothing, it was done for,"
Foy said.
He also remembers a couple of splurges: trips to
Italy. Before they went, Lucille Morlacci would invite Foy's wife Iris
to go shopping for a new dress for the trip. "One new dress," he
emphasized.
Morlacci liked to walk, too. After his wife's
death, while he was living at Eagles Manor, it was common to see him
walking around downtown, Foy said.
He bought monthly passes on city buses, too, but if
he missed the bus, he went out anyway.
He placed a high value on work, surmised Wilmot.
About the
University of Great Falls
The University of Great Falls was founded through
the collaborative efforts of the Sisters of Providence, the Ursuline
Sisters, the Catholic Bishop of Great Falls and the civic community all
of whom recognized societal need for higher education. Its educational
mission, sponsored by the Sisters of Providence, continues to be the
shared endeavor of dedicated people.
Mission: As an
expression of the teaching mission of Jesus Christ, the mission of the
University of Great Falls is to provide students with the opportunity to
obtain a liberal education for living and for making a living.
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