With Gratitude To The Ski Club, For Love, Skiing and Commitments Found

Drew Leimkuhler had strong family connections to Villanova, which made it his obvious choice for college. Even before he enrolled, Drew had been able to experience campus life through visits with his older brother, Rob ’92 VSB. His father, Henry, worked for Connelly Containers, the family-owned local business which has, through its philanthropy, very generously supported Villanova for decades. Further strengthening the Leimkuhler presence, Drew’s two younger sisters, Catherine Grimes’01 CLAS and Elizabeth Clark ’03 COE followed him to Villanova.

Kelley Hartigan Leimkuhler chose Villanova because she wanted an excellent education in business. Her initial visit convinced her that Villanova was the right choice because she “loved the feel” of campus. Kelly, then a sophomore, and Drew, in his first year, met when they became involved in the Villanova Ski Club. Over time, and through a number of ski adventures, they developed a deep friendship and, ultimately, a lifelong love for each other. The campus itself even played a role in their engagement, which took place in July 1998 on Sheehan Beach. They were married in Massachusetts on October 9, 1999, with over 30 Villanova friends attending the wedding.

In the School of Business, both Drew and Kelley felt that they were surrounded by motivated individuals and a faculty always willing to engage with the students. For Drew, having had open access to the beloved Dean Emeritus Alvin Clay is something which stands out among his Villanova memories.

In addition to the rigorous academics, the experience of being part of a Catholic Augustinian community at Villanova has also greatly influenced Kelley and Drew. As Drew explains, he lost his mother at a very young age and had to face difficult moments when people may not have always offered what he needed emotionally. In contrast, he found Villanova to be a very supportive place when times are tough and he believes that one never felt alone there. Kelley was drawn to the emphasis placed on education and giving back, distinct Augustinian values. Sunday Mass was a weekly ritual and, as Kelley describes, was also, in part, a social event. Students were drawn to Sunday night Mass but didn’t feel that participation was forced on them. Both Kelley and Drew were impacted also by the continuing sense of community and humility which they experienced. They have worked to carry over these same values in raising their children, Tommy and Ellie.

Their Villanova School of Business educations enabled the Leimkuhlers to pursue their professions as accountants. Drew has spent his entire career with Raytheon Technologies while Kelley worked for Fidelity Investments for over a decade. Both agree that approaching a job with a Villanova degree in hand moved them to the “short list” of candidates and they are very grateful for this boost which Villanova gave to their careers.

Since Drew still has family living in the Villanova area, they travel down from Massachusetts for basketball games and reunions. Drew recalls having been able to attend the Final Four event in San Antonio, Texas, in 2018 with his father. For father and son, nearly as memorable as the game was the gathering of several thousand Villanovans in their hotel ballroom for celebration of Mass presided over by Father Peter.

The Leimkuhlers had planned to attend Kelley’s 25th reunion but, unfortunately, there were no on-campus events in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic. They still are connected to Scott Alessi ’96 VSB, Pete Candito ’96 COE, Tom Conroy ’96 VSB, Tim Mauri ’96 CLAS, Brian Nash ’96 VSB, Beth Huston ’95 CLAS, Dan Huston ’95 CLAS and Brian Edwards ’96 VSB.

The influence of Villanova is so important to the Leimkuhlers that they decided early on a special way to give back to the community. They realized that not only is it essential to continue to be involved with the present University, but also to stay connected to Villanova’s future. For this reason, Kelley and Drew made Villanova part of their estate plan through the gift of a life insurance policy naming the University as a beneficiary. Villanova shaped the Leimkuhlers and they in turn want to be part of Villanova shaping future students. As Drew notes, even when we think that we don’t have assets, we usually do have them in our estate. An estate gift allows one to make an impact through an easy means of giving.

Drew Leimkuhler is correct in saying that very often, people have access to greater assets in their estate than they may have during their lifetimes. To learn about the many ways you can make an estate gift, contact Tim McKinley at 215-240-0812 or timothy.mckinley@villanova.edu. Make your gift to support the future of your Villanova.