Nathaniel MacDonald, education director for the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire in Londonderry, chats with Family STEM Day visitors Cara Bove and her son, Isaac, 2-years old, residents of Hudson, whose visit to the museum, located in Londonderry alongside a runway used by Manchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT), surely will include a tour of the artifacts, exhibits and historical memorabilia whose origins reflect the times when the site was the Grenier Air Base, a primary transport point for thousands of World War II active duty military destined for conflicts in far-off countries. Photo by LORETTA JACKSON

NASHUA – The late Brian S. McCarthy, who passed after a cardiac arrest in 2018 amid a lengthy tenure as a Nashua Alderman and former software engineer is remembered by intimates as the leader of a life spiced with interests ranging from aviation and astronomy to model rocketry and fly fishing.

His legacy lives on through the establishment by friends and family a year later in 2019 of the Brian S. McCarthy Memorial Foundation, one intent on benefiting the local community through philanthropy and providing scholarships and classroom teaching demonstration materials to Nashua students who have displayed affinities toward science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).

Gloria McCarthy, Brian’s wife, here recalls her husband’s personality, as does Kim McCarthy, Brian’s daughter.

“Brian was an insightful, intelligent, lifelong learner and problem solver who deeply valued education and inspired our children, Kimberly and John, to stay curious,” said Gloria McCarthy, a founding board member of the Foundation.

“He encouraged all of us to stay curious, understand how things work and never stop exploring,” Gloria added.

Riley Lincoln, a sophomore, is one among dozens of volunteers whose duties included supplying visitors with event giveaways and a colorful program booklet whose pages featured a boldface announcement of the 2026 STEM Champion: Teresa Rosetti of Nashua High School South whose selection was based on "her mentoring of students who created a smart mirror system for students with special needs," an award that encompassed the criteria of innovation, creativity, collaboration, education, mentorship, inclusivity and public engagement. Photo by LORETTA JACKSON

The Foundation especially benefits students at Nashua High School North and Nashua High School South, who are concentrating on a STEM curriculum and related projects.

Classroom assemblies are hosted through the Foundation’s partnership with the schools’ Adult Learning Center and Xploration STEM. A community grant program, “STEMagination,” gifts funds to the Nashua River Watershed Association in support of its STEM Education programs, and some generous dollars support the Nashua FIRST Robotics Team — Tough Techs.

Documentation online notes the scope of the philanthropy gracing the Nashua community. Scholarships, grants and donations comprise $104,431 since 2019. Other substantial sums graced a variety of STEM learning projects and programs in Nashua and other communities.

Well thanked by Family STEM Day organizers were the event’s estimated 1,000 attendees and 35 vendors and participating organizations.

The school’s indoor Planetarium, whose series of star shows throughout the day were conducted by Matt Froment, head of the Science Department, reportedly were a highlight for dozens of attendees who became acquainted with constellations including Orion and Andromeda.

Spark Academy, located in Manchester, is well represented here by these robotics' specialists, from left, Jack B., Lillie D., and Connor B, whose remotely controlled canine may stand still for some petting but requires no dog treats as it is sustained by its intricate circuitry and robotic computer programing applied at the free public charter school where students embrace the development of a solid armament of technical skills and humanities surely poised to bloom into lucrative careers upon graduation. Photo by LORETTA JACKSON

Kim McCarthy, president of the Foundation reminisced that the Foundation was established to honor Brian’s legacy with “a couple of scholarships in his memory.”

“I’m excited that we’ve been able to develop this event and share our excitement for STEM with others,” Kim noted.

More information on the Second Annual Family Stem Day and a multitude of good works hosted by the Brian S. McCarthy Memorial Foundation can be found online at BSMMemorial.com.

Kyle Zorawowicz, layout engineer for Harvey Construction Corporation in Bedford, displays some of the safety equipment that augments projects and programs originating with the design and production of intricate machinery and robotic builds originating with the men and women whose embrace of science, technology, engineering and math surely escalates their paychecks and the respect their knowledge garners among peers in their chosen trades. Photo by LORETTA JACKSON

Charlie Wolber, left, a mechanically inclined youth from Nashua who attended Family STEM Day with Jack Wolber, his grandfather, selects some free building gadgets offered by Bill Schongar of MakeIt Labs on Crown Street in Nashua — an immense community workshop with tools, classes and guidance from professionals who currently are offering there a MakeIt Fest on June 13, Noon to 4 p.m., featuring for artists, inventors and creators of demos and raffles. Register at makeitfest.com. Photo by LORETTA JACKSON

An autonomous robotic masterpiece built by future engineers was showcased at the recent Family STEM Day by Jason Bottino, left, and Anirudh Pulugurtha, who with other teammates from Team Tesseract (21689) is a formidable FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) competitor and award-winning team based in Nashua. The team attended not only to spotlight the advanced technical opportunities available through FIRST, but also how the program helps students build meaningful leadership and networking skills — leading them to work with Governor Kelly Ayotte to proclaim April as FIRST Robotics Awareness Month in recognition of the program. Photo by LORETTA JACKSON

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, long incorporated into verbal shorthand as "STEM," was the theme that drew dozens of related organizations to Family STEM Day, including area robotics teams whose blue-shirted members seen here on the right, include team instructor Ian MacGregor, Liam M. (center) and Abbott D., of the Chop Shop 166 robotics team based at Merrimack High School. Photo by LORETTA JACKSON

The Brian S. McCarthy Memorial Foundation presentation of Family STEM Day on May 16 at Nashua High School South attracted stargazers from the New Hampshire Astronomical Society who provided telescopes to the public for daytime viewing with specialized filters whose images were explained by these members, from left, Joseph Derek, of Hudson, Mike Townsend, of Milford, Mark Fernald, of Amherst, and Paul Winalski, a Merrimack resident who invited many attendees to visit a monthly Super Stellar Friday event at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord wherein, weather permitting, the group sets up telescopes outdoors for sky viewing. Photo by LORETTA JACKSON