Giving Back:
The Deepe-Boccitto Family
The Deepe-Boccitto Fund was established by Bonnie Boccitto GP’33 |
to honor her mother, Bernice Deepe, who passed away in 2022 on her 97th birthday. “My mother grew up on a farm in Nebraska during the Great Depression and the ‘Dirty Thirties’ Dust Bowl. Graduating from high school when she was only 16 years old, her greatest desire was to go to college,” Bonnie said. “However, having almost lost the family farm during those financially trying times, her parents couldn’t afford the tuition.” |
The Deepe-Boccitto Fund will provide financial aid for a high-need upper school student with excellent academic standing. This fund honors Bernice, who instilled in her children an appreciation for education, strong moral values, and a commitment to hard work—values shared by both the Boccitto family and Friends Select School.
“My mother went on to eventually buy and run her own family farm. Although she was never able to achieve her dream of going to college, extremely hard work enabled her to provide each of her five children with that opportunity,” said Bonnie. Based on their mother’s belief in the value of education and perseverance, three of Bernice’s children went on to earn advanced degrees.
Bonnie recalls seeing the values she now knows as the Quaker SPICES reflected in her mother’s character long before she had a name for them. “She believed in simplicity, as witnessed by the hard thinking that took place before even buying herself a new dress or hat, no matter how badly needed; integrity prompted her to correct sales clerks when she was given too much change,” Bonnie explained. “And community, for my mother, meant family, to whom she devoted her life and protected fiercely.”
Bernice shared the strong moral values upheld by Friends Select. Bonnie added, “I think my mother would be delighted to know that the Deepe-Boccitto Fund will offer assistance to a worthy student whose family values education, but like hers, can’t afford the tuition. And what better place to attain such an education than at a school which practices and promotes the values that were integral to her character.”
