William C. Stocksdale ’21 Endowment Fund

About the Fund

In order to preserve, in perpetuity, the extraordinary legacy that Will forged during his time at Loyola, we have established The William C. Stocksdale ’21 Endowment Fund. Will's thoughtful leadership and commitment to service will live on through this fund, which will serve as enduring expression of the light and love that Will so abundantly blessed us with through his words and deeds.

If you wish to support the Fund, gifts can be made via the form below. You may also gift by check payable to "Loyola Blakefield" Attn: Office of Advancement, 500 Chestnut Ave, Towson, MD 21204. Please indicate "In Memory of Will Stocksdale" in the memo.

About Will

A Don, son, brother, friend, athlete, leader—and man for others

Do you know anyone who never turns down a chance to help a friend in need? That was Will.

“Stocksdale,” as classmates called him at school, never settled for mediocre. He lived with conviction, determined to make the world a better place—by raising funds for those less fortunate, organizing tasks committed to service, improving the environment, and promoting justice and equality.

Aside from his many accolades and achievements, described below, Will was best known for his innate kindness and ability to put people at ease. He often left his own needs for last, helping classmates with papers before starting his own assignment at the last minute—and still managing to earn an A. He was a natural learner, driven by his deep-seated curiosity about everything from plants and gardening to history, public policy, environmentalism, and animal and human rights. He was also an avid reader and talented writer and storyteller, who could make even the most mundane topic gripping, funny, or thought-provoking.

List of 3 items.

Will's Life at Loyola

As a Don, Will ran cross-country, managed the water polo team, and served as a four-year member of the swim team. He also played an active role in student government at Loyola Blakefield, serving as vice president of service during his junior year and as president of the Student Government Association his senior year. Although the COVID-19 pandemic hampered his high school experience, Will worked hard to maintain and foster relationships with and among students by hosting regular video fireside chats and creating videos (like “Spring Break in Quarantine” that lightened the mood and made people laugh.

In 2020, Will received Loyola Blakefield’s prestigious Daniel W. McNeal Award, given in loving memory of alumni Dan McNeal, who graduated from the school in 1990 and died tragically in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The award honors a single member of the junior or senior class who embodies the Jesuit virtues of living in faith and deed, displaying academic excellence, engaging actively in the community, and serving as a man for others. In addition, during his graduation ceremony, Will received the Alumni Award for the senior who is most conspicuous for school spirit, leadership, and excellence in his studies.
A Man for Others

Throughout his life, Will served consistently as a man for others, raising $20,000 for the Make-a-Wish Foundation, a nonprofit that fulfills the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. In high school, he led student retreats; managed blood drives; planned and led schoolwide forums; came up with unconventional, imaginative ways to promote food drives; developed a program through which older and younger students bonded over service to a local senior living community; wrote and delivered daily meditations; organized dances and school events; buried a time capsule for his Class of 2021 to open 21 years later; and participated in Best Buddies, an organization that offers support, friendships, and mentoring to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “He was the glue that held our class together,” said a fellow Don from Will’s class.

Will’s love of serving others carried on at Georgetown, where he continued participating in Best Buddies, while holding the roles of vice president and operations director of Students Advancing Food Equity (SAFE), lifeguarding at Yates Field House, and pursuing a degree in global business from the university’s mission-driven Walsh School of Foreign Service. “Will would oftentimes go the extra mile, just for the sake of being a good friend,” a classmate said. “Although I know he’s no longer earthly present, we can still try to be friends as well as he was, with as much zeal, with as much loyalty, with as much soul, with as much exuberance as Will carried with him.”
Will's Legacy Lives On

“Will leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of laughter, love, and leadership,” said former Loyola Blakefield President Anthony Day.
In keeping with his service-oriented lifestyle, Will, an organ donor, lives on in others, with his heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys transplanted to extend the lives of five recipients. He was also chosen to be part of two research studies—one to train canines to find missing persons in disaster zones and another to investigate and better understand the role of the basal ganglia (a network of brain cells and nerves) in back pain.

Likewise, Will’s legacy lives on through Loyola Blakefield’s William C. Stocksdale ’21 Endowment Fund, a program to support other Dons with the “Will” to lead and serve others during a critical time in their life journey.