Generous Gift Presented to Medfield Public Library at Gala

She loved music and children and by all accounts was a very kind lady. She taught in the Medfield School system and even today, her second-grade students can clearly remember her and appreciate her dedication on their behalf. She also loved to read and loved the Medfield Public Library.

Her name was Catherine F. Mafusie Bell and her generosity was celebrated, along with a number of other library benefactors, at the second annual Library Gala, held on April 7.

The Gala, whose theme was “Celebrate Our Legacy,” was held in conjunction with the Friends of the Library’s semi-annual book sale and featured refreshments, activities for children, a special display by the Medfield Historical Society, fine art, donated by and flowers donated by . Music for the event was provided by pianist Charlotte Reinemann.

Speakers for the evening’s event included Library Director, Deborah Kelsey, Library Trustee president, Steve Pelosi, Friends of the Library president, Kathy Brennan, Russ Hallisey of the Library Trust Fund, Al Bonoldi, trustee for the estate of Catherine F. Mafusie Bell and Richard DeSorgher, who reflected upon the life of the former Medfield educator. 

“This is a personal honor for me,” DeSorgher said. "Miss Mafusie [as she was known at the time] was my second-grade teacher. I think that, as a teacher myself, for the past 35 years, I now appreciate more the work, the time the effort and the caring that was so much a part of Miss Mafusie’s life as a teacher. She impacted the lives … of over 1,000 Medfield children and so, her influence is endless in so many ways and through so many people.”

Catherine F. Mafusie Bell’s continued influence and impact on the Medfield community was assured with a generous gift of $231,000, bestowed on the library through her estate and presented, on her behalf, by Bonoldi.

“She just came to me one day,” Bonoldi said. "She walked in off the street and said she had inherited some property and needed some advice. We struck up a relationship at that point. She was a very nice lady.”

Bonoldi, who is a Certified Public Accountant, explained that although Bell’s passing occurred in 1994, “in order to get this accomplished, we had to go down many roads and legal proceedings.” In addition to her generous gift to the library, the Catherine Bell Trust Fund has also donated a similar amount to St. Jude’s research hospital for children’s cancer research.

“She loved children,” Bonoldi said. “Which is ironic, because she never had any children of her own. But her legacy is to make sure she could help children in any way possible.”

Catherine Mafusie graduated from Medfield High School in 1943 and earned a degree in education from Boston University. She began her teaching career in 1947, teaching music to elementary students at the Pfaff Center. In 1952, she began a long career teaching at both the Memorial and Wheelock schools before her retirement in 1983.

In keeping with the event’s theme, a number of other library benefactors, both past and present, were acknowledged. Key donors such as Granville Dailey, who provided the land and funds necessary to build the original library, were honored and remembered. A program handout featured photos and biographies of Dailey and other generous library supporters through the years.

Brennan said “it’s great to be a part of this evening” while reminding those in attendance of the semi-annual book sale, which was taking place “downstairs.” She also defined the Friends organization, for those unfamiliar with that group.

“The Friends is a group of individuals, families and businesses in Medfield that support the library," said Brennan. "Every year we have at least 500 members and some years it has gone up to 700 or 800. These are all people in the town that love the library.”

Pelosi utilized his time at the podium to thank outgoing Trustees, Isobel Palson and John Bankert for “their efforts over the years” and welcomed newly elected Trustees, Tim Hughes and Lauren Feeney. He also acknowledged the continuing contributions of current Trustees Jim Whalen, Maura McNicholas and Bob Luttman.

Russ Hallisey of the Medfield Library Trust fund, noted that the fund was now in its 20th year.

“It was set up as an entity to accept donations, large and small, to be set up as an endowment fund, so that it had long life to it and would grow and produce income.” The income, he explained, is used to acquire materials for the library. “Right now,” he said, “we have $55,000 - $60,000.”

Final remarks were entrusted to Whalen who told the audience that “we also want to recognize the peers and donors who support the library. We are very dependent on the volunteers that serve on boards and make this a vibrant place.”