HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — The late Elizabeth "Betty" Schonrock has left a bequest of $250,000 to the University of Alabama in Huntsville to support the UAH Hockey program, her family announced on Wednesday.
“We are extremely grateful for the Schonrock family for their generous gift to honor their mother and father,” UAH Director of Athletics Dr. Cade Smith said. “I know that UAH Hockey meant a lot to them, and to be able to honor their legacy in such a lasting way is an honor for us to be able to do.”
The university said Schonrock had worked for IBM and NASA's Apollo space program as a computer programmer and left a strong legacy as a community leader and volunteer in Huntsville.
“My mother and father wanted to make this gift to the UAH hockey program specifically in order to help ensure the longevity of the program,” her son, Keith Schonrock, III said. “They saw the benefit that programs like this bring to our and other families of Huntsville, and we are happy that their gift will help UAH Hockey move into the future.”
“My mom is originally from Massachusetts, and my dad is originally from Connecticut,” Keith Schonrock went on. “Mom moved to Huntsville when she was about eight years old, as her father worked with Von Braun's team and the space program. IBM is where my parents met. My father went on to be one of the founders of M&S Computing that eventually became Intergraph Corp. Mom left IBM at that time and continued to serve the Huntsville community on various boards and in multiple volunteer positions.”
The university said Schonrock's volunteerism efforts have benefited many Huntsville organizations, including the Benton H. Wilcoxon Ice Complex, the Huntsville Museum of Art, Randolph School, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra Guild, the Von Braun Center Board, St. Thomas Episcopal Church, UAH Charger Ice Hocke and Leadership Huntsville Class 15.
Additionally, Schonrock was awarded the Governor's Arts Award and the Virginia Hammill Simms Award for her significant contributions to arts in the region.
Schonrock's love for hockey developed when her children got into ice sports, her son said.
“I started to play recreational hockey after high school and started to volunteer working the UAH penalty box,” Keith Schonrock said. “I think this, along with my mom being on the VBC Board of Control, is how she got interested in UAH hockey. We all started to go to the games together, and my mom really took an interest in the game and people behind the game. She would love to attend the Blue Line lunches where she could meet the coaching staff and loved going to the special events, such as the auctions, where she could interact with and talk to the hockey players. We continued to go to hockey games as a family group up until she passed in 2020. She saw the positive power of hockey and the benefit that UAH provided to the community at large."