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S. Prestley Blake
Pres Blake: A Savior and Friend to the Academy
S. Prestley Blake, a name well known by anyone associated with Wilbraham & Monson Academy, was truly larger than life. He kept proving that, year after year, until he died at age 106 on Feb. 11, 2021. Aside from being an internationally known business leader and hailed for his integrity, he was also, with his wife, Helen Davis Blake, a remarkable philanthropist. The long list of lives they have positively impacted is impossible to overstate. In fact, their generosity frequently exceeded normal expectations into the realm of savior for some, individuals and institutions alike. That is exactly what Mr. Blake was to WMA, having played a pivotal role in saving the Academy at a time when it was facing enormous challenges.
Some of you may be thinking, wow ... 106, what class was he, exactly? Mr. Blake was in the class of 1934—of Northfield Mount Hermon. Why then, you may wonder, would Mr. and Mrs. Blake be moved to have such a significant impact on the history of Wilbraham & Monson? The answer, like many of us who did not graduate from WMA, is that they simply fell in love with this school and this community and chose to make it a part of their life’s work together.
As such, and fitting a legacy such as this, the name Blake can be seen throughout our campus community on Wallace Blake Dormitory, Blake Middle School, the S. Prestley and Helen Davis Blake Scholarship Fund, and most recently the S. Prestley and Helen Davis Blake Reading Room in the newly constructed Athenaeum. Aside from these projects, Mr. Blake has left his
mark on nearly every capital project for the last 35 years, the construction of LaBrecque House dormitory, Malley House and countless other initiatives that do not bear the name Blake but were only possible through the Blakes’ influence.
Mr. Blake was equally generous with another precious resource: his time. He was always excited to take calls or visits from Dick Malley, Rodney LaBrecque and most recently me, to be a sounding board and source of guidance, wisdom and inspiration. Frequently the Heads Office phone would ring out of the blue because Mr. Blake had woken up, as Mrs. Blake will attest, with “an idea,” because he never stopped thinking about us.
In honor of his transformational influence on Wilbraham & Monson Academy for the last 35 years, and for us all to fully celebrate Mr. Blake’s impact on the Academy, we will make Mr. Blake’s full WMA story the centerpiece of the next edition of The Giving Report. Until then, please join us in celebrating the life of S. Prestley Blake and recognizing with tremendous gratitude how fortunate we were to have known him.
