September 10, 2025
So many of us want the memory of our loved ones to live on. We have scholarships created in their honor, we write heartfelt obituaries, we hold memorial services, we commit their names to stained glass windows and charitable endeavors.
Louis V. Gerstner III was a young man of compassion and generosity, remembered by his family and friends as someone who wanted others to share the same opportunities he had been given. He found the greatest personal fulfillment in helping students get a Catholic education that would lead to a successful career, inspired by faith.
As president of the Gerstner Family Foundation, he was responsible for many projects that helped underserved communities, and one of his fondest joys was receiving a note from someone whose life had been changed by a gift from the foundation.
Louis died at 41 in 2013. In his memory, his father, Louis V. Gerstner Jr., former Chairman and CEO of IBM, supported a major initiative of Bishop Frank J. Caggiano and the Diocese of Bridgeport, which transformed Kolbe Cathedral Prep into a premier Catholic institution of learning. The Louis V. Gerstner III Center for Students and Families gave students, their families and the community “a beacon of hope and opportunity,” Bishop Caggiano said.
In his comments at the ribbon-cutting ceremony last year, he expressed his gratitude to Mr. Gerstner and said, “His generous support continues the legacy of his son, a dedicated champion of Catholic education, especially for an underserved population.”
In a tribute at the time of his passing, Louis V. Gerstner III was remembered as “a beloved father, son, brother and friend, who championed the cause of education for underprivileged children.”
His closest friend at St. Paul’s School in Concord, NH, said, “It was his heart that touched us the most. He was a prince of a man who, despite his mind and his privileged upbringing, encompassed great humility — he possessed the common touch. He was always wanting to make those around him comfortable.”
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