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By BOB ROLLEY
brolley@lockhaven.com
By all accounts, Anne Healy Bullock was an unassuming person whose modesty was the most memorable thing about her.
Those who knew her – Anne died in Lock Haven on Nov. 11, 2016 – also describe her as stately, proud and very intelligent.
But she mostly kept to herself.
Until now.
Upon her death, Ms. Bullock – on behalf of herself and her late parents, Robert and Anna Bullock – has bequeathed just over $940,000 to several churches, various nonprofits and agencies so to benefit many others for years to come.
It's a gift that will certainly keep on giving.
Among the beneficiaries are Holy Spirit Parish in Lock Haven and St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Renovo, each of which are receiving $223,688.
Receiving an equal amount is the nonprofit Keystone Central Foundation, which has been charged with using the funds for an endowment to give three, equal scholarships annually to Central Mountain High School and/or Bucktail Area High School students.
In particular, these scholarships are to be awarded to "three deserving and worthy graduates who wish to complete their education at (Lock Haven University) in Social Studies, which shall be known as the Robert W. Bullock Memorial Scholarship; in Music, which shall be known as the Anna Elizabeth Bullock Memorial Scholarship; and in English, which shall be known as the Anne Healy Bullock Scholarship," according to her will.
"The selection of the recipients, one in each field, shall be made each year by a selection committee of the (university) as determined by the college president, and any recipient may receive the scholarship for more than one year if the selection committee so determines …"
Other beneficiaries of Ms. Bullock's generosity include Faith Chapel United Methodist Church at Beech Creek (formerly Beech Creek United Methodist), $89,475, and the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, March of Dimes and National Emphysema Foundation which will receive $44,754 each. Also, the Susquehanna Health Foundation is to receive $750.
A number of Ms. Bullock's relatives also received money from the estate, which was worth well over $1 million at the time of her death and even after she had lived for 12 years at Susque-View Home in Lock Haven, said Larry Ferree, a friend of Ms. Bullock's.
Prior to Ms. Bullock's passing, Larry spent hours listening to Anne talk about her childhood, her home and community. Anne was an only child.
Larry said their friendship began when he offered to cut the grass at her home at 211 South Hampton Street -- a home Ms. Bullock was very proud of because she designed it.
The well-appointed brick ranch-style house was built in the late 1950s in one of Lock Haven's favored neighborhoods.
Larry remembers those talks fondly.
"She told me about her mother and father… how they met at a ballgame in Renovo, where her mother grew up," Larry said. "Her dad always told her it was love at first sight."
Robert Bullock was well-known and well-liked, said Lock Haven attorney Alvin Snowiss, who was named executor of Anne's estate not long before her passing.
Alvin also recalled Mr. Bullock as very well regarded.
Robert Bullock served as Clinton County register and recorder from 1928 up to his sudden death in 1955.
The family's initial home was along West Main Street near downtown, next to what is now the House of the Lord Fellowship Church at West Main and Second streets.
"Her dad was really personable. He loved to go fishing in Canada, and somewhere in The Express at the time he was described as 'Clinton County's ambassador to Canada' because he was always going there to fish," Larry said.
Anne's mother's parents were the Healys of Renovo. Her grandfather Healy and two of her uncles all worked for the railroad.
Anne was given her mother's maiden name as her middle name.
Mr. Bullock's father was a blacksmith in Beech Creek, Larry said.
Anne Bullock accumulated her wealth not by working, but by investing.
Indeed, her gifts would not be possible had she not been a savvy investor.
Larry said he doesn't recall her ever working at all.
"The money she acquired was done through her investing skills," he said.
Anne was well educated. She graduated from the former Immaculate Conception Catholic School in 1948, then went to college in Rochester, N.Y. But she returned, took classes at Lock Haven State Teachers College, then enrolled at Penn State University, from which she graduated.
In fact, Alvin said he and Anne attended Penn State at the same time.
Anne also spent a year working toward a master's degree from Columbia University, Larry said.
Alvin said Anne's estate -- specifically the executor's need to track down heirs -- made for some interesting work for himself and his legal assistant, Susan Hanna.
That's because a number of the heirs didn't know Anne, or at least, they didn't remember her, both Larry and Alvin said.
"This was a real challenge," the veteran lawyer said. "In all my 63 years of practicing, this was a complex estate to handle."
He noted the distribution of estate funds also had to be reviewed and approved by the state Attorney General's Office due to the sizeable charitable donations.
Anne loved to read and spent a lot of time at Annie Halenbake Ross Library. She also loved movies.
Larry recalled that Anne even wrote a play, "The Shattered Crystal," which was performed at Penn State and somewhere in North Carolina.
The Express did a story on the budding playwright in the 1950s.
"Anne said it was a competitive thing whereby various works were reviewed and hers was selected to be performed," Larry said.
He said he "always appreciated sitting and talking with Anne because our senior citizens have a lot of life experiences to share."
He said that, as a tribute to Anne, he bought several antique chairs from Anne's estate that her mother acquired from the old Stein's Furniture store. They have been donated to the Clinton County Historical Society and are in the Heisey Museum's east parlor.
As for Anne's gift to the Keystone Central Foundation, it's the largest donation the educational nonprofit has ever received.
"We're grateful to Ms. Bullock, her parents and to Alvin Snowiss and Susan Hanna for their work, along with Mr. Ferree," the KCF said in a prepared statement. "It's wonderful also that the money this family will provide through scholarships year after year will go to local students who attend college locally."
