OCC receives bequest from former librarian

Michael Miller

A former Orange Coast College librarian who died in 2002 donated

$406,000 to the school through life insurance and a bequest, the

school announced this week.

George Ciarlo, who served as the college librarian from 1972 to

1983, split his donation evenly between the school’s Library

Endowment Fund and its Scholarship Endowment Fund.

Fifty percent of Ciarlo’s estate went to his niece, who lives in

Northern California, while the other half went to his former

workplace.

“It’s one of the largest gifts we’ve received in the 20 years I’ve

been here,” said Doug Bennett, executive director of the Orange Coast

College Foundation. “It’s just a really nice gift to the college, and

it’s great to see that people care so much about OCC that they’re

willing to do these types of things.”

Bennett said the college had already received $146,000 from

Ciarlo’s life insurance policy after his death in December 2002. This

week, the college received an additional $260,000 from a bequest.

With the additional funds, the college will expand the George

Ciarlo Scholarship, which it established in early 2003.

The scholarship, in the past two years, has been awarded to one

OCC student; Bennett said it will probably cover four or five now.

Ciarlo, who retired in 1983, had taught high school French and

Spanish and worked as a librarian at Cypress College and Contra Costa

College before joining OCC’s staff.

Jim Carnett, director of community relations for the college,

remembered Ciarlo as a quiet but dedicated worker who grew to love

his campus.

“He was a guy who contributed a lot of his funds and resources,”

Carnett said. “He gave money to scholarships on campus when he was

here, invested in purchasing books for the library. I think in the 12

years that he was here, he became very committed to the place and the

students.

“He had worked elsewhere in his career, but I think he really

found a passion for OCC.”

Ciarlo, who never married or had children, often returned to

campus to keep in touch with former colleagues. After his retirement,

he lived for two decades in Palm Springs.

“We are very appreciative of the fact that Mr. Ciarlo chose to

honor Orange Coast College with such a significant gift,” Del Heintz,

chair of the college’s foundation, said in a release. “Our students

are grateful for his generosity.”

* MICHAEL MILLER covers education and may be reached at (714)

966-4617 or by e-mail at michael.miller@latimes.com.