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| Maureen (Castleton) Overley |
“Music is important to the joy of life,” says Jim.
His parents, Christopher and Maureen (Castleton) Overley, met in Chicago in the late 1920s and were graduates of the Sherwood School of Music. Christopher was a talented violinist, music teacher, and a charter member of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. Christopher and Maureen married, settled in Kalamazoo, and had two sons.
Maureen became a well-known piano teacher in the ensuing decades, giving private lessons in her home. For nearly 30 years, she taught for as little as $1 per half hour. Usually carrying a student load of 55, Maureen was very busy and in demand. Years later, Jim would comment that because of her hard work and a knack for investing, she was able to construct a lovely new home and put both of her sons through college. She was also an early member of the Michigan Music Teachers Association, which is concerned with qualifications and standards for music teachers. Maureen passed away in 1956.
Jim credits his mother, his dentist, neighbors, local businessmen, and Dr. Arnold Schneider, the founding dean of WMU’s Haworth College of Business, with influencing his life and financial goals. Upon graduating from WMU, James worked as a banker, a stock broker, and retired from Eaton Corporation in 1984 at age 50.
While Jim ultimately chose a path in finance, music was always an integral part of his life. Because of this legacy, he and his wife Carol recently created the Maureen Overley Piano and Organ Scholarship. The endowed scholarship is now offered to a piano and/or organ major in the WMU School of Music. The family hopes the scholarship in Maureen’s name will help a young pianist chart their path for a successful career.
In addition to his love of music, Jim learned early on the importance of giving back. He is grateful that philanthropy gives him an opportunity to be a positive influence on others.
“One ought to leave the world a little better than one found it,” he says.