Robert G. Boehmler Community Foundation
ROBERT BOEHMLER’S LEGACY IN LYONS
If you have walked, biked, or driven through Lyons on Route 14, you have undoubtedly passed a mural on the back of MVP Auto Parts; it colorfully depicts the Erie Canal as it flowed through the village in the late 1800s. Erica Swenson painted it, and it was partially funded by a Boehmler grant. Although the most visible of his legacy, he has impacted Lyons in other ways. Music students have been able to take lessons at Eastman thanks to funding from the Boehmler Foundation. Boehmler grants have funded other music and art events throughout the years in Lyons.
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But who was Robert Boehmler, and what is the purpose of his foundation?
02/02/1915 - 09/21/1998
An Ithaca College graduate, Robert Boehmler first taught at Fillmore Central School and, in 1942, was drafted into the Army Air Corp. Selected for the 378th band, he was transferred in 1943 to Atlantic City, where he played in a dance band six nights a week for the USO clubs. Returning to his hometown of Lyons, he began teaching music at Palmyra-Macedon schools, where he taught for 30 years.
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In 1996, he, Walter Schnabel, and David C. Reid created the Robert G. Boehmler Community Foundation emphasizing music and the arts. The private foundation was designated as the principal beneficiary of Robert's estate, and upon his passing in 1998, the Foundation was endowed by his estate.
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The mission of the Robert C. Boehmler Community Foundation is “to benefit the public charities and certain service entities in Wayne and Monroe counties of New York State, particularly the towns of Lyons, Palmyra, Sodus, the Village of Clyde and their school district Clyde-Savannah, and the city of Rochester. The focus of the grants is in the area of music and community enrichment.”
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Because of Mr. Boehmler’s generosity, his love of music, and his hometown, the foundation continues to fulfill its mission of promoting the arts and music in our communities.
Interested in Applying?
Apply for grant funding from The Boehmler Community Foundation online via the button below, or download the application HERE.
Please note that our Spring Application Deadline is April 1st, and our Fall Application Deadline is October 1st.
Our Achievements
A notable example of the foundation’s mission is the annual award of $18,000 a year to the Eastman School to enable students in Lyons, Sodus, and Palmyra schools to attend private music lessons at Eastman. Approximately 15 students a year receive the award, worth $550 a semester. Also, several community services and organizations, such as the Lyons Food Pantry, the Museum of Wayne County, the Lyons Heritage Society, and the Wayne County Council of the Arts, have also been awarded grants. Library programs have also been funded through the Boehmler Foundation grants. Also, Lyons, Sodus, and Pal-Mac school students receive high school graduation scholarships worth $1,000 each from the foundation. Many citizens have attended summer concerts Wednesdays in the park and Saturday Farmer’s Markets, also funded through the Boehmler grants.