Remembering Rusty Hewit
Rusty Hewit was an uncompromisingly loyal and caring friend, son, brother, husband, and father. He loved to support and celebrate his family, friends, and community with his whole heart. For those fortunate enough to know him, he was the best—an absolute joy and pleasure to be around.
In celebration of the qualities and character that Rusty exemplified, and to channel our collective love for Rusty into meaningful opportunities for others, we established the Rusty Hewit Scholarship Fund at Delbarton School. This perpetual financial need fund provides an annual merit-based scholarship award to a Delbarton student who has demonstrated Rusty’s qualities: leadership, positive character, and service to the broader community.
We celebrate Rusty’s birthday on February 16 with a fundraiser for the Rusty Hewit Scholarship Fund. We are immensely grateful to the many friends and family who have made generous gifts to this fund in Rusty’s honor.
Pinhook Bourbon, Celebrating the Life of Rusty Hewit
"Celebrate we will, for life is short but sweet for certain" -Dave Matthews Band
Rusty loved to enjoy a good bourbon with friends. So, in 2021, we launched our first birthday fundraiser for the scholarship fund with our friends at Pinhook Bourbon. They created a limited-edition series of Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Celebrating the Life of Rusty Hewit.
To celebrate Rusty’s birthday on February 16, and in time for one of his favorite events, the Kentucky Derby, we are pleased to share the next edition in the series, Celebrating the Life of Rusty Hewit.
This 9-Year vintage is part of a Vertical Series we will follow as the bourbon ages from 5 to 12 years. With evaporation, the number of available bottles will reduce over time, making this fundraiser truly unique.
If you wish to contribute to the Rusty Hewit Scholarship Fund without a bottle, you can do so via the link below.
The Rusty Hewit Scholarship Award is a merit-based scholarship awarded to students with financial need. Students are selected by the school to receive this scholarship based on character, leadership and contributions to the Delbarton community.
Rusty at Delbarton
Russell L. (Rusty) Hewit, Jr. graduated from Delbarton in 1998. He was a three-sport varsity athlete, Treasurer of the Student Body, a member of the Council of Seniors and a Junior and Senior Dean. He was a midfielder on the soccer team that won two state championships. As a defenseman on the hockey team that played in the state championship finals, Rusty received the Delbarton Hockey Coaches Award. And, as an all-state attackman and captain of the lacrosse team that won the Morris County Championship, Rusty was awarded the Delbarton Lacrosse Matthew S. Atkinson Teamwork Award. During his final three years at Delbarton, Rusty made biweekly grocery shopping and delivery for elderly citizens in Morristown.
Rusty went on to study economics at Washington & Lee University, graduating in 2002. He had a nearly 20-year long career as a market maker on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and flourished at Citadel. Rusty married the love of his life, Candace Fisch, in May 2012 and they became proud parents of Grace, Hardy and Jacquelyn. He passed on June 11, 2020, at age 40, from acute myeloid leukemia.
Written on his Delbarton senior yearbook page was a Dave Matthews Band quote that perfectly encapsulates how Rusty lived life: "Celebrate we will, for life is short but sweet for certain." While his life was too short and his passing too sudden, Rusty touched the lives and hearts of countless. The Rusty Hewit Scholarship Fund is intended to honor his legacy and give back even just a fraction of the love he put into the world.
