When Cyrus (Cy) Spurlino recently passed away, he left behind a lasting impact on HEF and our community through his generosity, kindness and contagious smile that will be greatly missed.
During his life, Cy and Joanne Spurlino donated $750K+ to HEF through their charitable foundation to support students and teachers by providing funding for school supplies, classroom enrichment grants and so much more.
In one of many examples, the Spurlino Foundation funded musical supplies for students in Band Director Ashely Huffman’s classes at Dowdell Middle Magnet for the entire school year. She says the heartfelt donation went far beyond the equipment.
“To see a student play an instrument for the first time and make a sound they thought was impossible, master a part they were struggling with or gain confidence, those things would not have been possible, if it weren’t for you. Thank you for giving with your heart and teaching students to be better people, to be kind and to grow along the way,” said Huffman.
Spurlino’s obituary reflects on how charitable giving was a calling for Cy that he truly enjoyed instilling in others.
“He had an annual tradition of giving money to his children, grandchildren, and the children of his employees to donate to the cause of their choice, only asking that they let him know what they supported.”
The 87-year-old’s legacy will live on in the thousands of lives he touched, organizations he supported and students he helped to succeed.
