SANFORD — When life hands you a tragedy, first you grieve, as the Sanford and Springvale community did 17 years ago when four members of the Duprez family died in a car crash on Mother’s Day in 2002. What comes next is often a determination to further the legacy of those who were lost.

As a way to do so, employees at Sanford Institution for Savings, who lost one of their own in the accident, and many people in the wider Sanford and Springvale community came together to establish the Duprez Family Memorial Scholarship Fund. This will be the last year of the scholarship that helped with the education of 17 students. It is coming to an end because the funds will soon be entirely expended.

Robert “Bob” Duprez, his wife Sandra, their daughter Christine and his mother Nola perished after the car Bob was driving crossed the center line on Route 125 in Barrington, New Hampshire, and hit another vehicle head on.

Bob had been a co-owner of a local garage. Sandra operated a daycare center in their home.

Daughter, Christine, who was 31 years old when the crash took place, was employed at SIS bank,  where she had worked for 13 years.

It was a terrible time, and their deaths touched many lives.

The first scholarship was awarded to a Sanford High School student in 2003, said SIS Chief Financial Officer Roger Guerin. He, Jackie Roberts, who retired as branch administrator but remains affiliated with the bank, collections manager Tina Bailey, and Cheryl Patstone, who works in human resources, talked about the scholarship, the family, and especially about their fellow employee, Christine, in a recent interview.

Christine had furthered her education during her tenure at the bank through numerous training opportunities, but had always wanted to co to college, her fellow employees said.

As well as his part ownership of LaChance Brothers, Bob Duprez often stood in as substitute teacher at the high school in the automotive department.

Because of the family’s connection to education and child care, the scholarship fund was designed for a Sanford High School student whose planned to pursue a career in education or other child-related studies.

This year, the last one will given — because the scholarship fund has run out, said Guerin.

The winner, chosen by staff at the high school, is awarded a $500 scholarship, bank officials said. Because of accumulated interest, this year’s award will be around $700, Guerin estimated.  Students may apply at the school.

“They were a well-known family,” recalled Guerin, who said he always took his car to Bob for repairs.

“Christine babysat my children,” said Patstone.

Bailey’s children attended Sandra Duprez’ daycare.

It is those connections and others throughout the community that made the tragedy all the more difficult.

They described their former co-worker Christine as a woman who loved children, and eagerly awaited the annual “day at the bank” event, aimed at second-grade youngsters, which she loved to help organize.

News stories at the time describe her as “bubbly, a real people person.”

She’d started as a teller and served in the bank in various capacities — in collections with Bailey, as a customer service representative, and according to news accounts, had worked her way up to loan processing.

Christine taught religious education classes at Holy Family Church, was a Girl Scout leader and was honored for her volunteer work by the bank in 2001.

Guerin said that 17 students had received help with their education through the fund,

“The family had an impact on those 17 individuals,” he said.

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or twells@journaltribune.com.