Patricia Lapan, a wealthy benefactress who gave millions to local children and charities, died earlier this month.
Lapan suffered from heart disease - a condition that plagued her for a number of years, according to her son, Dr. David Lapan, a local cardiologist.
The 84-year-old founded the Lapan College Club, which for the last eight years has rewarded Wakefield Middle School students with $50 for every A earned in core classes.
Students have also had the opportunity to continue to accumulate money through high school based on their annual grade-point averages.
The money earned goes into a fund throughout middle and high school that can be accessed only for college tuition.
The south-side school serves about 434 students. As of last year, 97.4 percent of Wakefield students qualified for free or reduced lunch.
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Since 2004, about 1,900 Wakefield students have enrolled in the College Club, earning about $1.2 million. Because not all of those students have enrolled in college, not all have collected their portion of the funds, said Lucy Kin, executive director of the Lapan Sunshine Foundation.
Because Lapan felt it wasn't enough to simply throw money at the problem, she ensured that students received mentoring services and that parents were involved.
"Getting people to think they can go to college and that they can be something was just as important as the money," David Lapan said of his mother's mission.
In fact, every year, Lapan made her way to Wakefield, 101 W. 44th Street, to meet with students, encouraging them to succeed and asking that all they do in return was to someday help someone else, Kin said.
The College Club is funded through the Lapan Sunshine Foundation, which was first launched in 1989 in California. Lapan wanted to help students who may not qualify for scholarships but had the drive and determination to succeed.
When she came to Tucson nearly a decade ago, Lapan brought the foundation with her, adopting Wakefield Middle School in 2004.
Lapan was the kind of person who did things well before other women did, her son said.
Throughout what her son referred to as a "very storied life," Lapan became a registered nurse, a pilot, a real estate developer, and was licensed in construction and accounting.
"She turned nothing into an empire by becoming a financial genius in the stock market and real estate," David Lapan said. "She made millions and all she wanted to do was give it away.
"She was one of those people who quietly did good things in the world."
Lapan's passing does not mean the end of her philanthropic efforts, as the bulk of her estate has been designated to charities, including the College Club, David Lapan said.
Though Lapan wouldn't have wanted any fanfare, a memorial service is being planned for November. Details are still in the works, David Lapan said.
Contact reporter Alexis Huicochea at ahuicochea@azstarnet.com or 573-4175.
