Former Janitor Dies, Leaves Behind $6 Million in Surprise Donations

A man who sometimes held his coat together with safety pins and had a longtime habit of foraging for firewood also had a knack for picking stocks — a talent that became public after his death when he bequeathed $6 million to his local library and hospital. The bequest of $4.8 million by Ronald Read, a former gas station employee and janitor, to the Brattleboro Memorial Hospital and $1.2 million to the town's Brooks Memorial Library were the largest each institution has ever received. Read also made a number of smaller bequests.