"Granting today; building an endowment for tomorrow!'

Robert Mundstock :

Robert Mundstock (1947 - 1992), Vermont artist and activist, became the Foundation's founding donor with a bequest that sustained the Foundation's initial development.

In the midst of the AIDS epidemic, and as he approached the end of his life, Bob made sure that he took care to share and entrust his ideas and worldly possessions with those around him.

In the last weeks before his passing, Bob directly asked if the much discussed 'Vermont gay foundation' had yet been established. It was Bob's imminent death, and his clear and direct inquiry, that finally gave the impetus to incorporate the foundation in 1992. As Bob so plainly put it, "If you don't have a foundation, I cannot leave you anything!" The following week, the Human Rights Foundation of Vermont, the precursor for today's Samara Foundation of Vermont, was incorporated.

Bob also suggested using the word "samara" for some future initiative in Vermont's lgbt community. Bob was an artist and an activist: "I like the sound of the word, and the look of the word, and it has such a wonderful symbolic meaning -- planting seeds for the future." In 1998, the foundation board of directors, after reviewing many possible new names for the foundation, decided to adopt Bob's suggestion. The board realized that adopting the name "Samara" - the winged fruit of the maple tree - wonderfully symbolized the foundation's mission of "planting seeds of hope and justice all across Vermont."

Samara Foundation of Vermont remains very grateful to Bob Mundstock for his impetus in 1992 to incorporate the foundation, and for his generous gifts: our initial bequest and, ultimately, our foundation's name and symbolism.

To honor Bob's gifts to Samara in perpetuity, we name Robert Mundstock, along with Douglas C. Howe, as one of our Samara Foundation Founding Benefactors.

Bob, or "Rocky" as he was known to his family, was the beloved son of his mother, Peg Mundstock, formerly of Vermont, and now living with her daughters in Colorado.

Thank you, Bob.