Planned Giving: The D'Avella Family Promise
Elaine and Bud D'Avella with granddaughter Liliana '30
For Bernard “Bud” D’Avella Jr. ’62, Newark Academy is more than a place where he learned Latin, solved math problems and played sports. It has been the foundation of a life shaped by opportunity, purpose and the kind of values that stay forever.
That’s why Bud and his wife, Elaine, have made Newark Academy part of their estate plans: not as a transaction, but as a promise — a promise that the life-changing opportunities he received will be there for generations of students yet to walk through NA’s doors.
“For the grandson of immigrants to attend Princeton and go on to a successful legal career, Newark Academy was the launchpad,” Bud recalls. “Everything about life began to make sense because of the lessons I learned there.”
The D’Avella family’s story is deeply woven into the Academy’s history. Bud arrived at NA in fourth grade in 1953. He was supported by parents who believed in the school so strongly that they made sacrifices to make his enrollment possible. “Paying the tuition wasn’t easy for my parents, but they knew it was the right path,” Bud says.
John, Aida and Bud D'Avella
The family’s commitment to the school was multifaceted. His mother, Aida, twice served as President of the Mothers’ Association, and his brother, John ’65, famously scored the first basket in the William G. Wrightson Memorial Gymnasium.
Today, that legacy continues. Bud’s granddaughter Liliana ’30, chose NA after hearing her grandfather’s stories, including those of dedicated teachers like Blackie Parlin, Catherine Lynham and James Manning, who were “always approachable and whose lessons were as much about life as they were about academics.”
Bud and Elaine’s decision to make a planned gift is rooted in gratitude. “When I think of what Newark Academy did for me and now is doing for my granddaughter, it feels only right to give back.”
Through their gift, Bud and Elaine are planting seeds for the future, ensuring that Newark Academy will remain a place where young people can discover who they are, unlock their potential and carry those lessons into the world.
For Bud, the real legacy isn’t just in what he’s accomplished, but in making sure the next generation has the same opportunity to dream, achieve and lead.
To learn more about supporting Newark Academy through a planned gift, contact Barbara Sine, Director of Planned Giving and Donor Relations, at bsine@newarka.edu.