Father Establishes Endowed Fund to Honor Son

Transforming lives — that’s what Pat Busch hopes to do by having established an endowed fund in his late son’s honor

Bob Busch, a member of the Class of ’95, started his education at Priory in the seventh grade. He had a love for Priory – both the school and his friends – that was exceptional and notable.

“Bob made lifelong friends at Priory, and he enjoyed the academic rigor,” says Pat. “I came from a family of eight siblings, and my parents couldn’t afford to send us to a private Catholic school. We wanted Bob to get a great Catholic education with high morals as a foundation. So, we sent him to Priory to reinforce what we were doing at home.”

After Bob’s passing, Pat thoughtfully considered how he wanted his son’s memory to live on. He worked with Priory’s Advancement Office to open an endowed fund in Bob’s memory. Pat and his wife contributed the first $100,000, and the proceeds from a yearly golf tournament will continue to fund the endowment.

An endowed fund is an investment fund established by a foundation that makes consistent withdrawals from investment capital or money. It’s typically given to an institution with a stipulation that the principal may not be spent. It is on-going, annual support – many times in someone’s honor.

Priory Brothers

“Bob had an incredible ability to relate to people even from a young age,” says classmate Kevin Heaney ’95. “He was an amazing listener and had such empathy. You couldn’t help but become fast friends when you first met him.”

Bob graduated from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and then went on to the University of Missouri Law School.

Priory alumnus Tim Ferrick ’95 says Bob had a heart of gold. “He was always thinking about his friends and wanted each one of them to become the best version of themselves they could possibly be. He was pretty much the best friend a guy could ask for. We met when we were 6 or 7 years old. We knew each other for over 35 years. You can’t replace a friend like that.”

Priory Education And Benedictine Values

“ My wife and I wanted to leave a lasting memorial and give back to Priory in honor of Bob. I think he would like that.”

— Pat Busch, father of Bob Busch, a member of the Class of ‘95

Pat says, “The monks and the Benedictine education were very important to us. We wanted that kind of environment for Bob. The monks are a treasure in St. Louis that most people don’t know about. The culture of a good Catholic education is something special. Priory is a place where everyone is welcome. I think it’s the best private high school in St. Louis by far. The academics are untouchable. The type of people they send out into the world is impressive.”

Heaney says a Priory education is second to none. “But the real uniqueness of the school are the values that are instilled in the boys that they carry with them for the rest of their lives. No matter where you are in the world, no matter how long it’s been, you can be confident of having a connection with other Priory graduates knowing you have the same values. That’s what is special to me, and it was really special to Bobby as well. Bobby’s legacy is Priory.”

Service To Priory

There are a multitude of ways that friends of Priory and alumni can support and serve the school, the Abbey, and the monastery.

Matt Wagner ’90 got to know Bob while serving on the Priory Alumni Board together. “We grew to be good friends,” he says. “I enjoyed his contagious smile and energy for life. When he was president of the Alumni Board, Bob taught me not to sweat the small stuff.”

In establishing the endowment in honor of his son, Pat wants other bright young men to benefit from a Priory education. He says, “Out of tragedy comes something positive for the Priory community, which gave so much to my son and family.”

Ferrick said he and Bobby often discussed the importance of giving back to causes that are important to you later in life.

“We knew we wouldn’t be where we were in life without our time at Priory,” he says. “Not only was the education exceptional, but the deep foundation in faith we received gave us the strength to handle any of the challenges that life threw at us. Just as important as the education and spiritual nourishment, were the incredible, life-long friends we made at Priory.”

He continued, “Never was the importance of friendship more evident than when we lost Bob way before his time. We all had to come together and lean on each other. During that incredibly difficult time, I know I personally rekindled a lot of great old relationships, and that is just one of the gifts Bob gave to us. One of the many.”

Golf Tournament

Class of 1995 10-year class reunion at Priory’s annual golf tournament. Pictured left to right: Tony Gallardo, Mike Corbett, Mike O’Brien, Matt Nagel, Faisal Yasin, Mike White, Bob Busch, Kevin Heaney, Eric Nolte, Tim Ferrick, Tracy Ring

Bob always attended the Priory annual golf tournament, and he even ran it for a couple of years. He loved sports. Pat thought starting a separate golf tournament to fund the endowment would be a great way to honor and create a legacy for Bob. Five Priory alums are on the planning committee.

“My wife and I wanted leave a lasting memorial and give back to Priory in honor of Bob. I think he would like that,” says Pat. “The golf tournament will take place yearly and all net proceeds will go to the Robert Busch Memorial Fund.”

The first golf tournament will take place at St. Albans on Thursday, April 28, 2022. Twenty-four foursomes will be available, and the hope is for the event to grow.

Ferrick said he is honored to help with the golf tournament. “I think you would be hard pressed to find someone who loved Priory as much as Bob. He loved golf. Raising money to help someone else become a member of the Priory community that Bob loved so much is something he would be extremely proud of.”

“This is a way to get together one time a year and celebrate my son’s life and share how he impacted so many,” says Pat. “We wanted to do something to honor his memory. Something that can last for a very long time. Something for him and something that was important to him. There were years where we were awarded tuition assistance, and we want to provide that for other outstanding young men. Bob would be thrilled.”

For more information about the golf tournament visit www.birdies4thebuschman.com, or contact Pat Busch at 314.620.9294 or grnharv1@gmail.com. To learn more about establishing an endowed fund, contact the Priory Advancement Office at 314.434.0783 or lrietlague@priory.org.