OLEAN, N.Y., January 16, 2023 — Vincent Horth was a “jack of all trades” who excelled in his work as a mechanic and lineman.

Horth, a graduate of Cattaraugus-Little Valley Central School and Jamestown Community College, was known to share his mechanic abilities to help a friend, often working on their cars.

Horth worked as a mechanic locally at Rock City Dodge, Landmark Chevrolet and Allegany State Park. Later he went on to become a lineman for the City of Salamanca BPU.

“As a young teenager, Vince was always busy tearing apart machines and engines and fixing whatever was wrong with them. He didn’t use a manual but would tinker until he figured out a solution of some kind,” said Jeff Horth, Vince’s father. “Vince did very well in school, but his passion was using his mind to come up with an idea and using his hands to solve the problem. After working several years in both the mechanical and electrical fields, he became very good at both.”

When Horth passed away in April of 2022, his family decided to honor his memory through a scholarship.

The Vincent C. Horth Memorial Scholarship Fund, recently established at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation will help support like-minded graduates of Cattaraugus-Little Valley High School who plan to attend a post-secondary school (trade/tech school or college) with a preference for a student studying to be an electrician or auto mechanic.

The fund will make its first award in 2023 with a $250 scholarship.

Horth’s family also will raise funds to support the scholarship fund through a softball tournament, which will be held for the second time this May at the Cattaraugus Fireman’s Club.

Horth enjoyed sports, particularly softball, as well as bowling, and loved the outdoors.

He enjoyed riding his motorcycle, mountain biking, boating and tubing on Kinzua and even became a champion go-kart racer.

He loved to spend time with his special dog, “Duck,” the German Shepherd he had wanted all his life.

“Vince was well liked and anyone who knew him had only good things to say about him. He would often put aside his own plans to help others,” continued Jeff. “ By establishing this scholarship in Vince’s name, we hope to provide a little support to someone pursuing a career in the trades and at the same time remember Vince for all that he was.”

“It is an honor to be able to manage this scholarship fund that memorializes a special young man who passed too soon,” said CRCF Executive Director Karen Niemic Buchheit. “So often, people like Vince are the unsung heroes in our world, and we are so pleased that this scholarship will help support young people in his mold for many years to come.”

Donations can be made to the Vincent C. Horth Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation, 301 North Union St., Suite 203, Olean, NY 14760 or online at cattfoundation.org.

The Cattaraugus Region Community Foundation is the area’s supportive, responsive, and trusted community foundation. Established in 1994, CRCF is growing good by connecting donors to the causes they care about most in the region. Grants from the foundation support many areas, including education, scholarships, health care, the arts, community development, human service, and youth development. To learn more, call (716) 301-CRCF (2723), email foundation@cattfoundation.org, or visit online at www.cattfoundation.org. CRCF is also on Facebook (facebook.com/cattfoundation) and Twitter (@CattFoundation).