With sadness, we share that Berkshire Taconic fundholder and volunteer Rhoda Lubalin of Amenia died on Oct. 19 at the age of 98. For 30 years, her scholarship fund has supported Webutuck High School graduates who intend to study visual arts.
Rhoda, a lifelong artist and teacher, created the Rhoda Lubalin Art Scholarship Fund in 1990. In 2008, she brought the endowed fund to Berkshire Taconic and remained actively involved in its advisory committee. “I’m happy to know the scholarship will continue well into the future to encourage students to pursue their passion,” she said at the time. “I am aware of the joy of creativity and the added meaningfulness of a life involved with the arts—a magically transforming experience for all concerned.”
Sebrina Call of Millerton received the scholarship last year to pursue a master’s degree in social work with a minor in art therapy at SUNY Plattsburgh. She plans to teach visual arts as a method for alleviating stress and anxiety, and she finds it “amazing” that Rhoda’s fund provided the award “with no intention other than to help me achieve my goals. It is truly a selfless act and shows real compassion and a desire to help others.”
Rhoda was also a member of a group of local residents who helped launch the Webutuck Quest for Excellence Fund, which supports projects that enhance and enrich the educational experience of students and teachers of the Webutuck Central School District.
Rhoda’s generosity has given countless young people the opportunity to pursue their dreams. As she once noted, “It only takes one person to make a difference in the life of a student.”