Widower Optimistic of Getting Big Bucks for Memorial Playground

Leland Felt didn't want flowers when his wife, Angela, died in 2009.

Instead, he told family and friends they could donate to the school where the 59 year old was working as librarian at the time of her death, .

He had no way of knowing what was to follow.

"The whole thing started as donations in lieu of flowers and it accumulated to somewhere in the area of $12,000," he said. "When we saw the money coming in in such extraordinary amounts we went to Fidelity Investments and they set up an account."

Initially, Felt said, $8,000 was given to the Faust library for electronic improvements.

"We then went to the principal (Colleen Wistler) and asked what they needed and she said a new playground," he said.

The school's playground, even with several upgrades since the school was built in 1956, is in need of rebuilding with new and safer equipment, safer surfacing and increased handicapped accessibility.

So, the Angela M. Felt Memorial Fund Committee joined forces with the school district, and the faculty, staff and students of Faust Elementary as well as the Parent Teacher Group. In addition, a fiscal partnership was formed with the Bensalem Kiwanis Club, which allows for public and private funding applications, Felt explained.

The financial goal is a lofty one -- $410,000 -- but Felt is as confident as can be.

"We will break ground in June 2013," he said.

There is certainly reason for optimism.

Felt Fest, a buffet dinner with an auction was a sell-out in April, bringing out more than 260 people and raising just under $20,000, Felt said.

In addition, a fund-raising golf tournament was held in September and about 500 copies of a 140-page cookbook filled mostly with Angela's favorites recipes have been sold.

In all, more than $40,000 has been raised since the initial $8,000 donation, Felt said. Another golf tournament is planned along with a carnival this summer at the school.

Felt recently talked to the Board of Education about the effort and said he came away confident the district will contribute financially. Two meetings have been held with Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo, who Felt said has been "phenomenally supportive."

"The (overall) numbers being suggested to us, without any true commitments, should be able to put us over the top," he said.

And all the financial help will likely be aided by in-kind services from local laborers, Felt added.

Angela Felt's bachelor degree was in special education and she worked in a learning support role for 10 years before completing her master's in education degree in library science and certification as a library media specialist. She began her career as a school librarian in an interim role at Shafer Middle School before moving to a permanent position at Armstrong Middle School, where she worked about seven years. After Armstrong closed in 2005, she moved to Faust.

Mr. Felt said his wife was the picture of health until being diagnosed in March 2010 with lung cancer. She passed away June 21 of that year, the last day of school.

In addition to her husband, she left behind a son and daughter, the latter of whom works as a guidance counselor at Faust.

Mr. Felt, 63, described his wife as "one of those true givers of life.

"She gave of herself, she gave of her time, she gave of her effort, and she was a great part of the entire Faust family."

How would she have felt about the effort being made in her name?

"My wife would be totally and completely embarrassed by the whole thing," Mr. Felt said. "I've had many conversations with her since she died and she realizes she started something and we're merely finishing it. She also would be completely delighted with our effort and enamored by the fact that so many people are putting in so much time and effort into a project in her name."

 For more information on the Angela M. Felt Memorial Fund, visit angelamfeltmemorialfund.org.