Russian Program Inspires Globe-Trotting Werner '68

Bill Werner

For Bill Werner Jr. ’68, his time at SLUH nurtured his interests and helped fuel his passion for languages, learning and travel.

When Bill Werner Jr. 68 discovered he had a gift for foreign language at St. Louis U. High, it changed the trajectory of his life. A desire to take Russian and visit the Soviet Union (now Russia) launched a lifelong journey that spanned the globe.

“There was only one high school option for Bill,” says Bill’s sister Mary Ann Werner Hill. “Our dad was a 1937 SLUH graduate, and that was the only place to go.”

Bill, a member of the St. Raphael Parish, participated in track, cross country and Scouts as a Jr. Billiken. He was also co-editor of the Dauphin Yearbook. The summer before his senior year, he traveled to the Soviet Union with classmates and their Russian teacher, Mr. Alfred Pasqualucci.

“He had amazing stories, including the Aeroflot Airplane that landed in a field instead of on a runway,” says Mary Ann. “That trip stoked his fire to learn and travel.”

Though Bill’s father and grandfather were both physicians, he had other aspirations. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a B.S., Bill earned an M.A. in Slavic Languages and Literatures from the University of Kansas, as well as an MBA from University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Following college, he worked as a guide with the USAID Photo-USA exhibit and spent a year traveling (“gallivanting,” says Mary Ann) around the Baltic States of the Soviet Union. “He traveled with a future NATO Under Secretary and many others in government service. He made lifelong friends on the journey, and he broadened his knowledge of the Slavic countries.”

Bill—a raconteur who was fluent in several languages, including Russian—embarked on a 22-year career with FMC Corporation as the American chemical manufacturing company’s European business representative. He excelled at FMC in the U.S. and overseas; first as a representative living in Vienna and working throughout the Soviet Union and Europe, and later in Philadelphia and finishing as the company’s director in Frankfort. He finished his career representing CPHall, an industrial organic chemical company, in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Bill enjoyed retirement in Chicago for several years before passing away in 2020. He left a legacy at SLUH through a gift from his estate, which established the Dr. William A. Werner ’37 and William A. Werner ’68 Endowed Scholarship.

“Bill loved his time at SLUH,” says Mary Ann, adding that his lifelong passion for running began at SLUH. “His estate gift was a sign of his gratitude to all of the teachers and priests who gave him the foundation for success in life. Also, since he had no children, this was his way of helping a family educate a child at such an excellent school.

“Nothing stopped him. He was as comfortable in Italy or England as he was in America. He loved spending much of his life throughout the world, and it all started at SLUH.”


Like Bill, you, too, can make an estate gift that helps SLUH students lay a foundation for their future goals and dreams. Contact Linda Domeyer at (314) 269-2113 or ldomeyer@sluh.org to learn more about the different ways you can give.

A charitable bequest is one or two sentences in your will or living trust that leave to St. Louis University High School a specific item, an amount of money, a gift contingent upon certain events or a percentage of your estate.

an individual or organization designated to receive benefits or funds under a will or other contract, such as an insurance policy, trust or retirement plan

UNRESTRICTED USE AND PURPOSE
"I, [name], of [city, state, ZIP], give, devise and bequeath to St. Louis University High School [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose."

RESTRICTED USE AND PURPOSE
"I, [name], of [city, state, ZIP], give, devise and bequeath to St. Louis University High School [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for [scholarship name or another specific purpose]."

able to be changed or cancelled

A revocable living trust is set up during your lifetime and can be revoked at any time before death. They allow assets held in the trust to pass directly to beneficiaries without probate court proceedings and can also reduce federal estate taxes.

cannot be changed or cancelled

tax on gifts generally paid by the person making the gift rather than the recipient

the original value of an asset, such as stock, before its appreciation or depreciation

the growth in value of an asset like stock or real estate since the original purchase

the price a willing buyer and willing seller can agree on

The person receiving the gift annuity payments.

the part of an estate left after debts, taxes and specific bequests have been paid

a written and properly witnessed legal change to a will

the person named in a will to manage the estate, collect the property, pay any debt, and distribute property according to the will

A donor advised fund is an account that you set up but which is managed by a nonprofit organization. You contribute to the account, which grows tax-free. You can recommend how much (and how often) you want to distribute money from that fund to SLUH or other charities. You cannot direct the gifts.

An endowed gift can create a new endowment or add to an existing endowment. The principal of the endowment is invested and a portion of the principal’s earnings are used each year to support our mission.

Tax on the growth in value of an asset—such as real estate or stock—since its original purchase.

Securities, real estate or any other property having a fair market value greater than its original purchase price.

Real estate can be a personal residence, vacation home, timeshare property, farm, commercial property or undeveloped land.

A charitable remainder trust provides you or other named individuals income each year for life or a period not exceeding 20 years from assets you give to the trust you create.

You give assets to a trust that pays our organization set payments for a number of years, which you choose. The longer the length of time, the better the potential tax savings to you. When the term is up, the remaining trust assets go to you, your family or other beneficiaries you select. This is an excellent way to transfer property to family members at a minimal cost.

You fund this type of trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. You can also make additional gifts; each one also qualifies for a tax deduction. The trust pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to SLUH as a lump sum.

You fund this trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. Each year the trust pays you or another named individual the same dollar amount you choose at the start. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to SLUH as a lump sum.

A beneficiary designation clearly identifies how specific assets will be distributed after your death.

A charitable gift annuity involves a simple contract between you and SLUH where you agree to make a gift to SLUH and we, in return, agree to pay you (and someone else, if you choose) a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life.

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