Donor Scholarship Empowers CU Boulder Students Balancing Child Care Duties

Always ready to help someone in need, Eugene (“Gene”) X. Tepper (Eng ex’43) was known for his generous philanthropic support of numerous institutions and causes, including access to education for undergraduate students at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Today, Tepper’s legacy and impact live on through a scholarship fund designed to support individuals in achieving their dreams to earn a college degree from CU Boulder.

Supporting his alma mater Together, Tepper and his late wife—science-fiction novelist Sheri S. Tepper—established a charitable remainder unitrust (CRT) in 1994, with the remaining amount directed to establish the Eugene X. and Sheri S. Tepper Scholarship Fund. Their goal was to provide undergraduate scholarships and stipends for CU Boulder students with child care responsibilities.

After Tepper’s death on Oct. 11, 2022, the CRT contributed a generous amount to the scholarship fund, which now awards annual scholarships to students of any major.

As noted by the Teppers’ longtime estate attorney, Larry Gustafson, Gene and Sheri shared a desire to assist students who have assumed responsibilities for others so they’re not prevented from achieving their own educational and career success.

A lasting legacy

“Gene’s generosity means so much to the CU Boulder community,” said Katy Herbert Kotlarczyk, vice chancellor for Advancement. “When I had the opportunity to meet him, I was struck by his commitment to philanthropy.

“Gene and his late wife, Sheri, supported a number of causes during their lifetimes, including establishing this incredible scholarship for students with caretaking responsibilities, an idea important to them because of their own life experiences. The Gene X. and Sheri S. Tepper Scholarship Fund certainly illustrates the couple’s dedication to current and future Buffs, giving them the financial support they need to reach their education goals.”

Such support has significantly impacted the life of many Tepper Scholarship recipients, including an anthropology student expecting to graduate this spring.

“Finishing college was very important to me, especially after I became a single parent of four kids with no financial support to help me raise my family,” said Sarah Coronna (Anth’24).

“I realized that school was essential to ensure a solid future for my family, but at that point my expenses and lack of child care made it impossible to return to school. I finally figured out how to make it happen and began CU full-time.

“Receiving this scholarship was absolutely incredible. I had been applying myself to my education with a lot of focus, giving it my best. The Tepper Scholarship was an affirmation that all this hard work was paying off, and that I would continue to succeed at school with this type of financial support to remind me of my goal of graduating. I graduate this May and will continue into grad school! I am so very grateful for being a recipient of this scholarship—it has helped me to feel a renewed inspiration in life overall.”

A life of service and dedication

Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Tepper was a lover of life and adventure. He attended the College of Engineering at CU Boulder from 1939 to 1941.

Tepper enrolled in the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy as a teen and graduated at the height of World War II in 1943. He was responsible for being a U.S. Merchant Marine captain of many ocean transits that carried soldiers, vehicles, equipment and fuel.

Tepper settled back in Denver after the war, where he ran his family’s plumbing and heating business alongside his brother and father. He also became a real estate developer, renovating and refurbishing local properties and beyond. This included the rustic restaurant and inn known as Crystal Lake Lodge in Pine, Colorado, which he opened in the 1960s.

Roughly 30 years later, the Teppers retired to Pojoaque, New Mexico, to renew and run Rancho Jacona, a historic property dating back to the early 1500s, along with a guest ranch.

Now the Eugene X. and Sheri S. Tepper Scholarship Fund at CU Boulder will support current and future Buffs by ensuring dreams of a college education become a reality for students who are responsible for raising children.

To learn more about Gene Tepper and his life, please view his obituary.

Like the Teppers, you can create your own CU legacy by contacting the Office of Gift Planning at 303-541-1229 or giftplanning@cu.edu.