Steven Fineberg ’73

Like many high schoolers who have visited Kenyon over the years, Steven Fineberg ’73 immediately felt at home when he set foot on campus. Despite the fact it was a “cold, rainy, crummy day,” the impression it left was bright.

“It looked like what I always thought a campus would look like, I fell in love with it,” he said.

Fineberg’s connection to Kenyon has remained strong throughout the years, including the time he spent abroad in Japan as a student. His love for Japan set him on his path to work at Industrial Bank of Japan for his entire career until he retired in 2002. Since then, Fineberg has spent his time as a part-time office manager for his wife, Dr. Vicki Raab, a neurologist. He also developed an affinity for beekeeping, served as both treasurer and president of his synagogue and worked to convert his house to use sustainable energy, part of his commitment to stewarding nature.

A longtime volunteer and donor to Kenyon, when he began thinking about leaving a legacy through his IRA, Fineberg was inspired to help preserve the beauty of the area that first drew him to Kenyon and which has sustained him in the years since. “Kenyon has always been my anchor. A lot of times in life you have these situations where you don’t know where you’re going or what you’re doing and I think about Kenyon and it restores my confidence.”

After discussing with his wife, the couple decided to make a planned gift to Kenyon’s Philander Chase Conservancy, a land trust that works with area farmers, landowners, environmental groups and government agencies to preserve Kenyon’s rural character.

“I want future generations to have what I had in terms of the physical beauty, it was almost utopia in terms of learning.”