A gift from an alumnus of St. Mary School in Augusta will benefit area families for years to come. M. Brenda Shaw bequeathed $2.9 million to St. Michael School, leading to the establishment of the M. Brenda Shaw Endowment through the Catholic Foundation of Maine. The endowment will be earmarked for tuition assistance at St. Michael, which was formed through the merger of St. Mary and St. Augustine School in 2007. 

"The St. Michael School community has been deeply blessed by Ms. Shaw’s generosity. We are incredibly grateful for her gift, which will have a positive impact well beyond the walls of our school. As we form students in the Catholic faith, cultivate academic excellence, and inspire a lifelong commitment to service and leadership, we are strengthening our community in the present as well as equipping the next generation of leaders,” says Alanna Stevenson, principal of St. Michael School. “Ms. Shaw’s gift ensures that we are able to welcome all families who wish to have their child educated in the Catholic tradition, continuing to bless our school and community now and for generations to come.”

Those who knew Shaw, who passed away in August 2025, describe her as a quiet and caring person who put the needs of others first.

“She really didn’t talk about herself very much at all. She was usually more concerned with you and how you were doing,” says Catlin Main, a paralegal with the law firm Goodspeed & O’Donnell. “But I can tell you from the things I found out that she loved this area. Her family’s been here. She had been here her whole life.”

Shaw was known as a hard worker, following in the footsteps of her mother, who took over the operation of the family’s Pontiac dealership when her husband died at a young age. Shaw was just a baby at the time.

Attorney Joe O’Donnell, who knew Shaw for 15 years, says Shaw worked for New England Telephone and later A.T.&T., as well as working nights and weekends at Damon’s market and Whipper’s Pizza in Augusta.

“She was fiercely independent. She really was,” says O’Donnell. “She still remained very independent right up to the very end, which was amazing.”

Shaw’s spirit showed through when she battled cancer and lost one of her legs as a result. It didn’t stop her from enjoying her time living along Lake Cobbossee.

“She loved living on the water, loved gardening, swimming, all those things,” says Main.

And she loved her Catholic faith, which Main says is likely why she wanted to support St. Michael School.

“I think it’s just a genuine love for her faith and her community and wanting to give back so that everyone has the chance to go to a Catholic school should they wish to,” says Main.

Those who share Shaw’s passion for Catholic education can contribute to the M. Brenda Shaw Endowment or to any of the other existing endowments benefiting Catholic schools in Maine. Donations can be made online, through bequests, or by naming a school or parish as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement account. No matter how you give or how much you give, you’ll be helping to make a difference.

“Supporting Catholic education is not just about academics; it is about evangelization, justice, and mercy,” says Father Nathan March, pastor of St. Michael Parish. “Each day, Catholic schools ensure that children and their families encounter the face of Christ in their education: truly a gift. Ms. Shaw’s bequest is a beautiful act of charity that will help share this gift with many more families in the years to come.”