The family of Island lawyer Ron Rappaport and the Martha’s Vineyard Bank Charitable Foundation have raised $1.5 million for a scholar fund in his memory.

Mr. Rappaport died suddently in June 2024. A celebration of his life and legacy was recently held at the Agricultural Hall.

The Ronald H. Rappaport Scholar Fund will be given to a will be given to a college student to help pay for their educational career. The group anticipates the first award will be given in June 2026.

Mr. Rappaport served on the board of Martha’s Vineyard Bank for 22 years and was instrumental in its founding, said president and CEO James Anthony.

“Ron Rappaport’s extraordinary commitment to civic life and public service has strengthened our community in countless ways,” Mr. Anthony said in a press release.

Mr. Rappaport founded the Reynolds, Rappaport, Kaplan & Hackney law firm in 1986 with his wife Jane Kaplan and Jim Reynolds. He served as a municipal counsel for five of the six Island towns, which the firm continues to represent.

During his career, Mr. Rappaport served the Island in several capacities, and chaired the advisory board for MV Youth since its inception. The nonprofit contributed initial funds to the scholarship.

Julia Rappaport, Mr. Rappaport’s daughter, said in the press release that the scholarship honors her father’s legacy by supporting Island students.

“Among the many things my father championed, three stand out: preserving the character of the Vineyard, pursuing a life devoted to the public good and supporting promising young people,” she said.

The award will go to an individual with deep connections to Martha’s Vineyard who embodies Mr. Rappaport’s spirit of civic leadership.

“We are a community of volunteers” Mr. Rappaport said in a speech when receiving the Spirit of the Vineyard award in 2000. “We have to take care of ourselves.”