A lifelong love of animals and a smile to share with everyone," are the words Don Trainor would use to describe his late son, Patrick Trainor. "Pat," as his dad lovingly calls him, was destined to be a veterinarian and a Boilermaker.
Like many kids, Patrick's love of animals started very young. "One of my fondest memories of Pat was around 8-years-old after I had just married my wife, Polly, Pat’s stepmom,” Trainor said. “We had six boys between us. We were blending a family, and instead of having another baby, we agreed to get a family dog. Pat made it his goal to be sure we would find the perfect fit. He did all kinds of research to find the best dog for our newly blended family and decided we would get a pug."
Trainor laughs at that fond memory and notes that this was also the moment he knew his son was genuinely passionate about caring for animals. Just a few years later, Patrick began seeking ways to care for animals in his community. Living in the Indianapolis area, he discovered an opportunity for youth volunteers at the Indy Humane Society.
"Pat was passionate about serving the animals at the shelter. Mind you, this was not glamorous work,” Trainor said. “He was washing up animals and cleaning their pens. He was not doing the jobs that could bring attention to himself but caring for animals, and he loved it. That experience led him to decide that he wanted to care for animals as a career.”
Patrick applied to Purdue University’s pre-veterinary program within the animal sciences department, the only college application he submitted. He moved to the West Lafayette campus in the fall of 2009, where he found his community through activities within the College of Agriculture and Greek life.
"Pat was loving his time at Purdue. He was making friends and having all the experiences that college could offer. He was enjoying getting started on his dream of becoming a veterinarian. It was a joy to go up and see him on campus and see that he was finding his place there," Trainor said.
Tragically, Patrick passed away after an accident that occurred over spring break his first year at Purdue.
"Even though my son's time at Purdue was short, it was special. One of the first things I remember after his passing was the kindness from the Boilermaker community," Trainor said. "The way the school handled his passing and the compassion shown to my family was something I never would have expected from such a large university. I remember being invited to the memorial they hold every year and seeing many Purdue leaders there. That meant a lot to me then, and it does today. When people talk about the Boilermaker spirit, that is the true heart of what it is. It's a heart for others, and our family has experienced that."
Keeping Pat’s memory alive was important for Trainor and his family 14 years ago and remains a focus today. Over the years, the Trainor family and friends have fundraised and been able to support many causes that Patrick was passionate about.
"We got this idea of giving back in Pat's memory. At his memorial, someone came up with the idea to have a fundraiser in his name at that time to benefit the Humane Society of Indianapolis,” Trainor said. “We had a big event and were able to raise $20,000 to donate in Patrick's honor. From there, the concept grew that we could do more good in Pat's name, primarily to help animals or others who wanted to help animals. We have run a donor-directed fund through our community foundation and we have been able to give scholarships and grants to local organizations in Patrick's memory. One of the things we have been most proud to support through that fund is scholarships to some of the top volunteers at the Indy Humane Society."
As time passes, Trainor and his family have continued to look for ways to make an impact in Patrick's name especially if it can help students. The memory of the Boilermaker spirit that Patrick experienced as a student and which the Trainor family experienced in his passing prompted Trainor to reach out to Purdue for Life about his options for giving in Patrick's memory.
"Our goal for establishing endowments at the Purdue College of Agriculture is twofold. We would love to support students who love animals but may not have the means to pursue a quality education like Purdue. We would also like our funds to support hands-on agricultural experiences for students with more of an urban upbringing," Trainor said.
Trainor credits the Purdue for Life team for working closely with him and his wife to come up with creative solutions to help ensure their funds would be used in a way that was meaningful to them as they sought to honor Patrick's life. The Trainors will be creating two endowment funds for the animal sciences department. One will be an endowed scholarship fund to support students seeking a degree in an animal sciences field, and the other will be an endowed fund to create experiences for animal science students that they might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience.
Paul Ebner, professor and head of the animal sciences department, is thankful for these gifts from the Trainor family and what they will mean in the long term for the students in his department.
"These gifts will allow all our students to participate in activities that greatly enrich their time and experiences here at Purdue,” Ebner said. “The experiences and opportunities they support will ensure our students will be ready to make an immediate impact in their careers upon graduation. This gift will help students just like Patrick for years to come."
Looking back, Trainor says he can remember Patrick's first campus visit, and that there was just something different about Purdue, "something special," he remarks.
"It must be the caring nature of the faculty, students and staff there. We experienced it during that first visit. Pat experienced it as a student, and we experienced it when he passed away. We are honored now to become a part of it for generations to come. We are excited to come alongside students looking to use their careers to care for animals like Pat had dreamed of doing. I have no doubt Pat would be proud to be giving back to the Boilermaker community in this way and to leave a legacy of helping others prepare for their career in caring for animals for generations to come,” Trainor said.
