The Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids has received an unexpected gift from a man who had no connection with the institute.
The Grand Rapids Press reports 87-year-old Arthur Jabury left $3 million, nearly half his fortune, to the institute upon his death in October 2014. He was an Army veteran who worked in accounting for General Motors.
Dorothy Broekstra, Jabury's longtime companion, says he "believed in the education and research" being done by the institute, especially because he faced heart and lung disease. The institute is an independent biomedical research and science education organization.
Institute vice president of development Love Collins III says gifts of such size typically come from those with which it has pre-existing relationships.
Jabury's donation will go toward expanding the Van Andel Education Institute Science Academy.