Longtime Kean University Benefactor Maxine Lane Leaves $1.7 Million Posthumous Gift to the University

Maxine Lane ’78, a longtime friend, advocate and patron of Kean University who died in May at the age of 90 in Phoenix, Arizona, has left her nearly $1.7 million retirement fund to Kean University. The Kean University Foundation, a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization that receives, invests and administers private support for Kean University, will establish the Maxine Lane Excellence Fund in support of the University’s mission to provide a world-class education to a diverse student population.

With this posthumous gift, Lane becomes the single largest donor to Kean University, having already contributed $3.1 million dollars to the University as an individual or with her late husband Jack. In 2009, the University named the Maxine and Jack Lane Center for Academic Success in their honor. Kean University is also the sole beneficiary of Lane’s estate, so an additional multi-million dollar donation is expected.

“Maxine Lane was and always will be a special member of the Kean family,” said Kean President Dr. Dawood Farahi. “Her kindness and altruism will live on through her generous gift to the University, which will help support Kean students for years to come.”

As part of her philanthropy to Kean, Lane endowed a scholarship, which was first awarded in 2008. Since then, 48 students have received the Maxine and Jack Lane Endowed and Annual Education Scholarship. It is renewable and awarded on an annual basis to juniors and seniors with a minimum 3.5 GPA who are studying for careers in education or health care. Lane took great personal interest in her scholarship recipients, particularly if they took the non-traditional route as she herself did, and attended many of the University’s annual scholarship receptions to meet the students and offer her quiet and heartfelt encouragement.