Stories of Consequence

Brian Shearer ’94 did not plan to attend Washington and Lee. He had been accepted at Carnegie Mellon, but with encouragement from a W&L alum whom he met while working at the mall, Brian changed his mind mid-summer and joined the Class of 1994. It was a decision that changed the course of his life for the better. Decades later, when he realized his life was going to be cut short by cancer, Brian spent his final days giving back to his beloved university.

“I am in awe of his generosity and forethought,” says Sally Stone Richmond, vice president for admission and financial aid at W&L. “As Brian’s illness progressed, he continued to think about future generations of students accessing a W&L education. His gift epitomizes paying it forward. We are humbled to be able to honor his request when naming future Brian Shearer Scholarship recipients. Thanks to his vision, students will be enrolling at W&L who would otherwise not be able to attend.”

Brian majored in business administration and history. Immediately after graduation, he began a 25-year career as an accountant with KPMG in Roanoke and Richmond. Although he was from the Philadelphia area, his sister, Stacey Bancroft, recalls, “Brian went to Virginia and never came back. He loved it there.” His father, Richard Shearer, adds, “W&L brought focus to his life. Brian set out a career path for himself, and he stuck to it.”

Part of the attraction to Virginia was his love of history, particularly related to the Civil War, but Brian’s KPMG colleague and best friend, Phil Bennett, says it went far beyond that. “He definitely let us know where he went to college,” Bennett laughs. “He carried a keychain he was given as a freshman. On one side was a picture of George Washington. On the other side, it said, ‘George Gave Here.’ It was a reminder to students to carry on that legacy.”

It’s not surprising that an accountant would be organized, but according to family and friends, Brian took it to a whole new level. His 1994 classmate Scott Sykes was a fellow business major who spent many hours working on assignments with him. “Brian was a hard worker. He was the ‘get it done’ person. He would do all the work. He did not see his brilliance; he was very humble,” Scott remembers.

Brian was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in 2019, and despite pursuing every treatment option, by 2022 he realized his illness was terminal. In his typical get-it-done way, he started making estate plans. Brian never married and lived a minimalist lifestyle, so he had accrued a sizeable portfolio. Recalling George Washington’s legacy and the impact the university had on his life, he contacted the W&L Development Office for assistance in creating the Brian C. Shearer Scholarship Endowment with a $1.2 million estate gift.

Leaving a legacy gift like this for future W&L students was a “no-brainer,” he explained to Nancy McIntyre, senior philanthropic adviser. “W&L helped get me on the right path as a young and confused student, and my wish is that future generations of students can also experience what a genuinely special place W&L is.”

Brian died Sept. 15, 2022. “Someone once said, ‘It’s not about the beginning date and end date. It’s all about the dash,’” Bancroft says. “Brian lived the dash.”