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Gordon Cadwgan Sr., dies at 97; family donated $1 million for Alpha-1 Foundation research programs
Gordon E. Cadwgan, Sr. passed away Friday afternoon at his home in Palm Beach Gardens. He was 97. He had been ill for several months and was in hospice care at the end of his life.
His son, Gordon E. Cadwgan Jr. and his wife Ruth announced a donation of a million dollars to the Alpha-1 Foundation for research last June. At the time, Gordon Jr. attributed the gift to his father’s statement that, “I want to make a difference while I’m still here!”
The Cadwgans, Ruth, Gordon Sr. and Gordon Jr., in 2010
Gordon Jr. says of his father, “His 97 years exacted a toll, but as he said often, ‘What a wonderful life!’”
“We shall always remember that twinkle in his eyes, that quick wit and his generosity and dedication to Alpha-1,” said John Walsh, president and CEO of the Alpha-1 Foundation. “He leaves an incredible legacy and will always be remembered by all of us that he touched.
“Our heartfelt condolences to Gordon and Ruth. Their gift to us allows us to help his legacy live on.”
Gordon E. Cadwgan, Sr. retired at age 92 after more than 70 years as an investment banker. For many years, he shared his financial success with charitable causes.
The generosity of Ruth Morgan, a high school teacher in Central Falls, RI, made it possible for Cadwgan Sr. to attend Brown University in Providence, RI, in the 1930s. While still at Brown, he began working for G.H. Walker, an investment firm in Providence, and when he graduated in 1936 he began his long career as an investment banker. He moved to Boston in 1963 to establish an office there for G.H. Walker, and worked for a number of other investment firms in Boston over the next 31 years.
Among many other donations, he funded, or helped to fund, two college scholarship programs. He created the Ruth Morgan Scholarship Fund at Colby College in Waterville, Maine – Ruth Morgan’s alma mater.
And in 1992, after the death of his wife, May, he created the Gordon E. Cadwgan and May R. Cadwgan Scholarship Fund at Brown, with significant contributions from several business clients. In the past 18 years, this fund has made it possible for more than 50 students with financial hardship to attend Brown.
Gordon Jr. explained his father’s generosity: “He is so grateful for the generosity that made his success possible, it’s led him to be very generous with his own wealth.”
His remains will be cremated and ultimately joined with those of his late wife, May, on a hill high above the farm in South Strafford, VT. where the Cadwgans spent weekends for many years.
Donations may be made in memory of Gordon E. Cadwgan Sr. to the Alpha-1 Foundation for its research programs here or by calling Angela McBride, director of development, at 888-825-7421 Ext. 233.
The story of Gordon E. Cadwgan Sr. and the family’s million-dollar gift
