By Sean Patrick Murphy
Frank Devone, of Voorhees, received the inaugural Jonathan Page Memorial Scholarship and will major in astrophysics at Ursinus College beginning this fall.
In honor of Merchantville native Jonathan Page, who died in a car crash alongside his wife, Yulin Wang, last September in California, family and friends have awarded the first scholarship in his name to a student at Bishop Eustace Preparatory School. The scholarship will celebrate Jonathan’s passion for science by annually supporting a graduate of his high school who plans to pursue a degree in the field.
“It’s an honor to receive this scholarship and I hope it continues to grow as time goes on,” Devone said.
Jonathan’s mother, Nancy, father, Robert, and brother, Christopher, attended the June ceremony honoring Devone.
“Frank reminded us of Jonathan quite a bit,” Nancy said. “He was very polite, a little shy and very intelligent. It was an uplifting experience to know Jonathan’s legacy will continue through the help and encouragement of other students pursuing a knowledge of science.”
After graduating from Bishop Eustace in 1996, Jonathan went on to earn a degree in physics from Cornell University in 2000 and established a strong background in engineering research. He worked as an engineer for Communications & Power Industries, Inc. in Palo Alto, Calif., developing anti-missile systems for the Navy,.
Events will be planned to perpetuate funding of this scholarship. Anyone interested in donating should contact [email protected] for more information.
Nancy said Jonathan’s best friends from N.J. whom he had grown up with came up with the idea for the scholarship. They were Stephen Szurek, Bob Tarr, Suzanne Gobbi, and Anna Eckhardt.
Szurek was Jonathan’s best man in his wedding on October 4, 2008.
“He came over one evening, with his wife Gloria, a couple weeks after the funeral and was very excited about an idea he had discussed with other friends and wanted to share it with us,” Nancy said. “We were very pleased knowing what loving and faithful friends Jonathan had and the way they wanted to honor his memory and legacy.”
The scholarship this year is for $1,000.
“We are all hoping to create a fundraising plan to raise an amount that would yield at least this amount annually,” Nancy said.
She noted Jonathan was “quietly confident, fiercely intelligent, and very funny.
“He was a great listener and had many friends and co-workers who loved and admired him,” Nancy added. “He often put others’ needs first as he participated in various volunteer groups helping the needy.
“Jon was dependable and loyal to God, family, friends, co-workers,” she continued. “He was also very spiritual and desired a closer relationship with God. He wasn’t perfect, but was a very good example for others to follow.”
So why honor him with a scholarship?
Nancy said that Jonathan, from a very early age, had an insatiable desire to read and learn. He was interested in many and varied subjects.
“As a student he strove to excel in school and earned a scholarship to Bishop Eustace Prep as well as many awards, scholarships and grants to attend Cornell,” Nancy said. “While scholarship was only a part of his character, it was a very big part.”
Devone said he can’t believe how quickly the scholarship was offered.
“It’s very nice,” he said. “I can’t wait to see where it is four or five years from now.”
Devone said he hopes to have greater focus in college, where he can combine his love of physics with his passion for astronomy.
