Fallen alum honored at Veterans Day Ceremony
Capt. Shane Mahaffee gave the ultimate sacrifice to his country, but his memory will forever live on.
On Veterans Day, the 1994 alum was honored at Widener Law Commonwealth when the Shane R. M. Mahaffee Scholarship for Excellence was dedicated in his name. Mahaffee was died as a result of injuries sustained when a roadside bomb struck his vehicle in Iraq in 2006.
The scholarship was made possible by a donation from Widener University Trustee Vito Verne. The first recipient of the scholarship will be James Nixon, a first-year law student and Army veteran. The scholarship is designed to be given to a deserving law student who has served or who is currently serving in the military.
Capt. Mahaffee’s family including his wife, Jennifer and their two children, were able to attend the ceremony. Also in attendance at the ceremony where Shane’s parents and his sister and brother-in-law and children.
“Shane was the real deal,” said his brother-in-law and Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Willett. “He embodied heroism that is out of sight. He loved life and loved being in the thick of it, and he lived it full throttle.”
The General Carl E. Mundy, Jr., USMC (Ret) and Linda Sloan Mundy Marine Scholarship was also announced at the ceremony. The scholarship is made possible by a generous donation from Widener University trustee Tom Bown and his wife Bonnie. The Bown’s chose to name the scholarship for General and Mrs. Mundy, in honor of their distinguished service to the country and their deep commitment to those who served. Eric Williams, a first-year law student, is the recipient of the Mundy Scholarship and is in the Army.
Lt. Governor Mike Stack also spoke at the ceremony and expressed his thanks to all veterans, especially those in the Pennsylvania, which has the fourth largest veterans population in the nation. Stack recently created the Veterans Task Force to identify and improve services including housing, healthcare and legal aid to veterans in the state. Dean Christian Johnson is a member of the task force and will lead the area that examines legal services available to veterans.
Dean Johnson added that the scholarships presented on Veterans Day are one part of the law school’s Veterans Initiative, which was launched this Fall. The Veterans Initiative will establish the school as one of the most veteran friendly law schools in the country. The law school is currently working to raise funds for a veteran’s law clinic anticipated to open in late 2017.
“Our veterans are our greatest asset,” said Johnson. “We are humbled by their service and dedication to our country.”
Special thanks to other speakers at the event which included, Col. Robert DeSousa, Pennsylvania National Guard State Judge Advocate; and Pennsylvania Supreme Court Justice Debra McCloskey Todd.
Sponsors of the event included: Eckert Seamans Attorneys at Law, McNees, Wallace and Nurick, LLC, Saul Ewing, LLP, Rawle &Henderson, LLP, Dean Christian and Cori Johnson and Schmidt Kramer Law Firm.
Click here to view photos from the event.