Scholarships Awarded in Memory of Kilian Felix Conlon

CONTACT: WVU AT PARKERSBURG FOUNDATION, 304-424-8340.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 

Three area students will be majoring in welding this fall at West Virginia University at Parkersburg thanks to scholarships they will receive in memory of Kilian Felix Conlon.

James Greathouse, a 2001 graduate of Magnolia High School, James Helmick, a 2003 graduate of Magnolia, and Jesse McNeely, a 2003 graduate of Tyler Consolidated High School, will be assisted with their college tuition costs, thanks to the Kilian Felix Conlon Memorial Scholarship.

"Welding was Kilian’s love and Kilian’s art," said his parents Steve and Ellie Conlon of Proctor. "It is wonderful to see three young men – Kilian’s peers – who will be able to follow their own dreams of a career in welding because of the Kilian Felix Conlon Memorial Scholarship. Our joy now is seeing others like our son succeed at something they love to do."

Kilian Conlon was set to graduate from WVU at Parkersburg in December 2001 with an associate’s degree in welding. But on November 1, 2001, the young life of Kilian Felix Conlon ended suddenly in a motorcycle accident.

Kilian’s parents, Steve and Ellie Conlon, chose to use memorial gifts from their family and friends needed to be used in a way that would make the spark of Kilian’s life live on. The scholarship was fully endowed in January 2002.

The Conlons are pleased to see that other young welders are benefiting from the memorial gifts given in Kilian’s name.

"The workers of Boilermakers’ Union Local 667 were especially active in raising funds to support Kilian’s scholarship," said Ellie Conlon. "We are very grateful for their generosity, and for their kindness to Kilian when he worked with them."

"We want all our family and friends to know that their generous gifts in Kilian’s memory created a chance for another young person to develop a strong, technical career, " she added. Because this fund is endowed, the Kilian Felix Conlon Memorial Scholarship will grow and be awarded to many students in the future.

Recipients for the Kilian Conlon Memorial Scholarship are selected without regard to grade point average or ACT scores. Preference is given to residents of Wetzel, Tyler or contiguous counties who have financial need, and who are majoring in welding or industrial maintenance at WVU Parkersburg.

Students interested in obtaining an application can contact the Foundation office at 304-424-8340 or by visiting its website at www.wvup.edu/foundation.

Additional gifts to the Kilian Felix Conlon Memorial Scholarship Endowment can be made at any time. Donations to this fund may be eligible for a state tax credit. For more information, contact the Foundation office at 304-424-8340.