Late insurance agent leaves legacy at WVU through $1.8M estate gift

Despite never attending West Virginia University, a late Monongalia County native with a commitment to community is empowering future students through an estate gift of more than $1.8 million.

Margaret Frances Verbonic Hodges died Oct. 21, 2025, at the age of 84. Prior to her passing, she documented her devotion to WVU with a generous gift in her will.

The funds will be used to establish the Michael Verbonic, Jr. Memorial Scholarship in memory of her brother, a WVU graduate. The endowed scholarship will provide unrestricted support for a WVU student.

"Unrestricted scholarship funds are critical to broaden access to advanced education," Will Green, WVU Foundationsenior vice president and chief development officer, said.

"With Ms. Hodges' gift, we can lighten the financial load for a greater number of students. Because the donor's endowment is unrestricted, or without specific parameters, the University can make in-the-moment decisions to meet emergent scholarship needs. We have the flexibility to further unlock student potential and keep them on track to become the next generation of leaders driving progress across West Virginia and the region."

Mountaineers are often called to serve others as leaders in their communities. Hodges carried out that mission after dabbling in insurance work in Washington, where she got her start typing up policies.

She eventually founded her own agency and dedicated her professional life to the insurance industry, working diligently to serve her clients. Her career reflected her commitment to helping others and her community in and around Morgantown.

Although she retired to North Carolina in the late 1990s, Hodges kept home in her heart and was regularly in touch with high school friends and family in West Virginia. She embraced her roots as a Mountaineer.

"She was a true-blue West Virginia girl," Jack Mazurowski, a long-time friend in retirement, said. "Somehow, she attached herself to the University."

Hodges grew up as the daughter of a coal miner, a fact that always made her proud. She shared her father's dedication to work, but she also had a sentimental side to accompany her serious work ethic.

"She still had her dad's lunch bucket he took to the mines every day," Mazurowski said. "She had a ration book from the second World War. It was amazing the things she hung onto. I never saw anything like it before."

Hodges was born in 1941, as families around the world were trying to overcome the perils and hardships of the Great Depression. Money was tight and didn't afford Hodges academic opportunities.

"She was smart," Mazurowski said. "She would have done very well in college if she had the chance to go."

Her generosity reflected her appreciation for higher education and WVU.

Planned givingoffers options for WVU supporters to advance the University's mission beyond their lifetimes. Interested donors can leave a legacy at WVU with as little as one sentence included in a will or living trust.

Hodges' estate gift was made through the WVU Foundation, the nonprofit organization that receives and administers private donations on behalf of the University.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Sunshine Wiles
Communications Specialist
WVU Foundation
304-284-4018; [email protected]

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