David Lerman Memorial Scholarship

With the passing of Dr. Joel Lerman, and in accordance with his wishes to keep the memory of his son alive, his family asks that donations be made to his son David's Memorial Scholarship Fund in lieu of flowers. Additionally, if you wish to write a brief note to honor Joel, please do so on this page. These notes will be incorporated into Joel's Memorial Service, which his family is planning at Peace Valley Park near the end of June 2023 in Pennsylvania (date and additional details forthcoming).

 

David's Story:

 

Born on June 29, 1981, David was an intelligent and considerate young man who loved his family, education and learning new things. He once asked his parents why he couldn’t stay in school forever because there was so much to discover. David taught himself to play piano at age 15 because he loved the song “Canon in D” and enjoyed activities like skiing, chess and video games. He enjoyed Broadway musicals, especially “Rent” and its theme of “No Day But Today.” In addition, David loved inventions, start-up businesses and gaming. After High School, David aspired to become an engineer and was accepted to Virginia Tech in their honors program, wanting to study robotics, an up-and-coming field at the time. Although his life was short, he had a lasting impact on his family and community. At 16, David decided to help others by signing up to become an organ donor. Two years later, he gave three other people the gift of life. A grateful organ recipient worked with David’s family to pay his generosity forward by raising awareness about organ donation; sharing David's story for over 15 years. David’s wish to help others also inspired the “David Lerman Memorial Scholarship“ for high school students interested in math and science who have demonstrated scholastic excellence and enthusiasm for continuous learning. It has been awarded every year for more than 20 years. All contributions made on this GoFundMe will support an annual $1,000 scholarship.