Linda Loomis, Distant Cousin of the Founders, Remembers the School in Her Estate Plan

In 1874 the five Loomis family siblings decided that they would bequeath their collective estate in order to found a school as a gift to the children of others. That original endowment gift began a long history of philanthropic support that continues today.

In fall 2023, Linda Loomis’ sister Cheryl contacted the school to inform us that Linda had recently passed away and had designated Loomis Chaffee as the recipient of a substantial portion of her estate. Cheryl shared that Linda had visited the school once and was incredibly impressed. Cheryl describes her sister as brilliant, curious, knowledgeable about many subjects, and a gifted writer who would have loved to attend a school like Loomis Chaffee.

Loomis Chaffee received Linda’s generous and thoughtful estate gifts the following year. Using the genealogy that Cheryl shared with the school, the school learned that Linda is a member of the Loomis family descended from Joseph and Mary White Loomis. Specifically, Linda’s great-great-grandfather (and Linda) share one common ancestor couple with the Founders—Joseph Loomis and his wife Mary, the first Loomises to arrive in America.

Loomis Chaffee deeply appreciates Linda’s philanthropical forethought and is grateful that she followed in the Founders’ footsteps; having no children of her own, she gave her resources to help other people’s children receive an excellent education at an extraordinary school.