by Michael Cummings Kelly

When Evan Hughes, a longtime Norfolk resident, passed away in 2016, he left behind specific plans for the disposition of his estate. His deep fondness for the town of Norfolk prompted a generous bequest to the community and its residents, including educational scholarships, village beautification projects, individual financial assistance and quality of life improvements. Salisbury Bank and Trust, the estate’s trustee, appointed Dan Stanyon, vice president and trust officer, to be the estate’s executor, and he in turn created an advisory committee composed of four of Hughes’s close Norfolk friends, plus Norfolk’s first selectman. This team has worked over the past two years to honor Evan’s wishes and distribute over $100,000 to deserving Norfolk residents and projects. 

Some of the many Norfolk endeavors the Evan Hughes Charitable Trust has supported over the last 18 months are 

*$45,600 in scholarships and continuing education grants 

*Underwriting the cost of Norfolk’s Veterans Day flag display 

*Contributing grant for the purchase of a Norfolk town bus to transport elderly and housebound Norfolk residents 

*A three-year contributing grant to the Norfolk Community Association for the restoration of Norfolk’s historic monuments 

*Personal misfortune assistance grants to Norfolk residents 

*A contributing grant for the restoration of the Tiffany and Maitland Armstrong windows in Battell Chapel 

*A contributing grant for the repair and restoration of the steeple on the Norfolk village green’s Church of Christ Congregational

Hughes was a man of impeccable taste, great humor and unending curiosity who was known for his kindness and spirituality. He would be enormously pleased to know that his love of Norfolk lives on in a generous legacy of good works through 2021 and beyond. 

Applications for those interested in benefiting from the Evan Hughes Charitable Trust are available by contacting Dan Stanyon, VP and Trust Officer, Salisbury Trust Wealth Advisory Services, 5 Bissell Street, PO Box 1868, Lakeville, CT 06039-1868, or dstanyon@salisburybank.com, or 413-350-6024.