Prieve’s IRA Gift to Fund Scholarship

Richard Prieve ’69 grew up in Rothschild, Wisconsin, and chose UW-Platteville because of his interest in civil engineering. “The faculty was great,” he says, “and I wasn’t interested in large class sizes.” He also met and married his beloved late wife of nearly 50 years, Sharon, through UW-Platteville. Now retired and living in Bellingham, Washington, Richard stays engaged with his alma mater through newsletters, including Alumni Today, and through his many years of annual giving.

In gratitude for all that the university has meant to him over the years and as part of his smart estate planning, Richard has named the UW-Platteville Foundation as the recipient of his IRA—a tax-free way to make a charitable gift that will establish a memorial scholarship in his and Sharon’s names. Richard hopes his scholarship will “entice and encourage women to pursue an engineering field (STEM), particularly folks who may not have financial ability.”

Richard investigated many charities that he was interested in supporting to see how much was used for administrative costs and says he was “pleased with the great work the Foundation is doing being fiscally responsible.”

As a student, Richard was a member of both the Engineering Club and the American Society of Civil Engineers. He enjoyed “the broad spectrum of the university, not just engineering,” he says. “I was able to take a wide range of coursework—economics, speech, and literature.” Favorite, although not necessarily fun, memories include whitewashing the M and lighting the torches. “I made some lifelong friends at Platteville,” he says. “You really cherish the time and friendships formed.”

Richard encourages others to reflect on the educations they received and the treasured memories they have carried throughout their lives. “Why wouldn’t you want to give something back to lighten the load?” he asks. “To me, it’s a slam dunk. Why not?”