Pacelli receives major donation to help students with tuition costs
Published 12:00 pm Wednesday, March 9, 2022
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The Dugan-Scallon Foundation recently created a new scholarship program to benefit students of Pacelli Catholic Schools.
The Dugan -Scallon Foundation was created by Helen Scallon Mears upon her death. In accordance with Mears’ wishes, the Foundation created this scholarship program to help students access the Catholic education she experienced and valued.
Throughout her life, Mears felt a close connection to St. Augustine Church and the Pacelli Catholic Schools because they provided her an excellent education and gave her a solid foundation to meet life’s challenges.
Mears was born Nov. 24, 1917, in Austin, MN to John “Jack” Scallon and Mary Dugan Scallon. She had a younger brother John F. Scallon. She attended Columbus Catholic School in Austin and graduated salutatorian from St. Augustine High School in 1935, which was renamed Pacelli in 1956. She attended the College of St. Theresa in Winona for two years, then transferred to the University of Minnesota, where she graduated in 1939 with a degree in Business Administration.
Mears worked for US Bank in Minneapolis for 10 years before moving to California. In California she volunteered with many benevolent organizations. Mears enjoyed travel and took trips around the world in the 1960s. She treasured her time spent in Minnesota every year with her family.
For many years, Mears and her brother John, spent summers in Austin and winters in California. She was active in the St. Augustine Council of Catholic Women and was a volunteer at Sacred Heart Care Center. Mears was also an accomplished Bridge player and played into her 90s.
Mears’ brother John passed away in 2016 at the age of 95. She passed away at the age of 103 in 2020. The Foundation honors the life and legacy of Helen Mears with the establishment of this scholarship program.