Lois McClure’s legacy: Making Vermont “a better place for all”

Honoring the life of a generous Vermonter

Earlier this week, Vermont said goodbye to philanthropist Lois McClure, who in her long life always believed people should have the opportunity to pursue their goals. With her late husband, she translated that belief into action through the J. Warren & Lois McClure Foundation at the Vermont Community Foundation, helping thousands of Vermonters better understand the career pathways that fit their life goals and earn college and career credentials that unlock those pathways.   

“Lois McClure leaves us with full hearts this week. For more than half a century, she gave her fellow Vermonters a profound example: leading with a deep commitment to improving the lives of those furthest from opportunity,” said Carolyn Weir, executive director of the McClure Foundation. “Lois often recalled that philanthropy in its many forms was a family tradition. Just as community service was modeled by her Grandma Howe, Lois nurtured both an ethos and practice of generosity among her loved ones. Her love for Vermont lives on through her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren—and through all the projects and programs she supported.”  

Under the leadership of her daughter Barbara Benedict, the ongoing efforts of the McClure Foundation will be guided by Lois’s example of community service and her belief in the value of education.  

“Today and always, we celebrate Lois’s life, legacy, and her deep love for Vermont,” Weir says. 

“Role models in philanthropy are critically important for Vermont,” said Dan Smith, President & CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation, who regularly reflects on Lois’s dedication to mission-based philanthropy.  

“Lois McClure loved Vermont and was passionate about supporting its communities. She saw the beauty but also the challenges, including the many barriers that too often stand in the way of people building successful lives. Lois and her late husband decided they wanted to change that paradigm. Together they launched what has been an incredibly successful effort to help Vermonters open doors to opportunity. It is with profound appreciation that we say thank you, Lois, for your inspiration, generosity, and openness to pursuing solutions year over year to make our state a better place for all.”   

Upon hearing of Lois’s passing, Senator Patrick Leahy reflected, “I was honored to count Lois among my closest friends. Marcelle and I were consistently inspired by her deep and sustained commitment to Vermont and we Vermonters. I have often looked for guidance in the breadth and depth of Lois’s philanthropic work. Year after year, she found just the right points of leverage for her work to make Vermont a better place, and I can say with confidence that many other Vermont institutions are able to better serve Vermonters today because of Lois.”  

In addition to her education-focused philanthropy through the McClure Foundation, she and husband J. Warren “Mac” McClure, who died in 2004, supported many charitable endeavors from affordable housing to cultural heritage to hospice care and programs for older Vermonters. Those interested in learning about Lois and Mac’s philosophy of “giving with warm hands” and the family’s deep history of giving are welcome to visit mcclurevt.org/history or read Lois’s memorial statement here. 

At the time of the McClure Foundation’s 30th anniversary commemoration on the grounds of the Inn at Shelburne Farms that Lois so loved, Lois and Mac’s daughter, and McClure Foundation President Barbara Benedict reflected: “We are very lucky in our work to always be able to keep students and young people in mind, to be able to look at the costs of education as investments, and to try to help the public see that too. We all do this work because we believe that in building up the next generation, we build up the world we want to see. […] I think my parents would be extremely proud of where we are.” 

The countless Vermonters touched in some way by Lois’s generosity would agree. 

When Lois turned ninety, retired from her philanthropy, and passed the baton of McClure Foundation leadership to her daughter Barbara, she reflected on the philanthropic journey she began with her husband Mac all those years prior.  

“During his lifetime, we established a foundation at the Vermont Community Foundation,” Lois wrote. “I feel certain the time has come to let this foundation take our place. In my remaining years, I can know that the ideals we had to help others will continue to come to reality – now and in the future. Our foundation’s goal is to help in providing post-secondary education so those who follow us will be able to help this world become a better place for all.”