Courtesy Glens Falls Hospital
Glens Falls Hospital officials said the executor of the estate of lifelong Glens Falls resident John E. Herlihy has informed them that he has bestowed a “significant endowment” to th hospiyal and to Crandall Public Library.
Mr. Herlihy, who died in July 2019, bequeathed each non-profit organization with approximately $2.2 million from his estate, officials said.
“We are truly humbled by Mr. Herlihy’s thoughtfulness,” said Kate Herlihy Schwenker, chair of the Glens Falls Hospital Foundation board of trustees. “We will honor his legacy by ensuring that the hospital uses these funds to continue increasing the community’s access to high-quality care.”
“Mr. Herlihy was an important part of this community for so many years,” said Barbara Caimano, president of the Crandall Public Library board of trustees. “As the library begins a new strategic planning process this year, his incredible generosity will impact how we, together with our stakeholders, can continue to best serve the library community.”
Mr. Herlihy and his late wife, Jeanne Ellsworth Herlihy, were both born in Glens Falls, where they remained until their deaths. They were graduates of St. Mary’s Academy. Mr. Herlihy went on to graduate from Skidmore College and Albany Law School, while Mrs. Herlihy graduated from SUNY Morrisville.
Mr. Herlihy began his legal career in the mid-1950s as a research assistant and speech writer for the state lieutenant governor during the W. Averell Harriman administration. He then became a partner in the law office of Singleton and Herlihy, where he served as general counsel to Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Co. for many years.
His professional associations included being a member and past president of the Warren County Bar Association and a member of the New York State Bar Association, while he also served as an officer and director of the Glens Falls Post Co. a.k.a. The Post-Star newspaper.
He was also a former member of the U.S. Marine Corps and was stationed in Korea. His service to others continued through his work with the American Legion, Marine Corps League and Glens Falls Kiwanis. Mrs. Herlihy was also active in the community before her death in 2012, as she was a member of the Glens Falls Hospital Guild and the Glens Falls Association for the Blind.