Ian Clemens was true blue from the start, a “Michigan man” even as a boy.

Last year, the Livonia native began his studies at the University of Michigan College of Engineering like his great-grandfather and his great-uncle before him. He was going to study industrial or mechanical engineering — something that would lead him to something that would improve others’ quality of life, says his mother, Michelle Clemens.

Not long after Ian moved into Bursley Hall in the fall, jumping into his classes with the same gusto he brought to all his endeavors, he was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor that typically affects much younger kids. One month later, it killed him.

He was 17, a graduate of Churchill High School, a scholar-athlete who had an eclectic music collection, loved nature photography, played on his school’s state-ranked tennis team, ran track and was known as a leader.

Michelle and Al Clemens, along with their daughter Kylee, reached through the fog of their grief and shock to find a way to honor Ian’s memory and his ambitions. They started an endowment at U-M in Ian’s name to help an engineering student each year defray tuition costs.

“The main thing was, Ian tried to become a student at the University of Michigan, he wanted to be a Wolverine, so when he passed away, we wanted to do something to make sure he’d be associated with the school," says Al Clemens, a 19-year Livonia police officer. "In setting this up the way we did, it’ll last forever."

At Ian’s funeral, the Clemens asked mourners to donate to the Ian Clemens Memorial Scholarship Fund for Future Engineers and raised $8,000. Then they dug into their retirement account to make it an even $25,000 — enough to start an endowment that will ensure that one incoming student at the College of Engineering each year will get $1,500 to kick off the school year.

The goal is to raise enough to cover the full tuition of an engineering student each year. The scholarship is available to students from Wayne County.

“It’ll take us a long time to get there, but we’re determined,” says Michelle Clemens, a reflexologist who teaches nutrition classes.

In late July, the Clemens held a “poker run,” in which participants in cars and on motorcycles made various stops — North Campus, Carl’s Cabin (Ian’s favorite burger place), Downey’s potato chip factory in Waterford, and other places that had meaning for their son — picking up playing cards along the way. They eventually met back at an American Legion hall in Livonia to eat, find the winning hand and raffle off prizes. After expenses, they raised $3,000.

On Thursday, Aug. 8, the Clemens are hosting a second fundraiser, this one at Painting with a Twist, a Farmington studio where participants can get creative with a paintbrush. So far, 69 people have registered; there’s room for a total of 86. The cost is $45 per person, of which half will go to the Clemens for the scholarship fund. The event will be held from 6:30-9:30 p.m.

“We’ve been very blessed with a wonderful family and amazing friends who’ve been there to support us,” says Michelle. “Ian wouldn’t want us sitting home and not living our lives the way he did. I know that each day we need to get up and try to make a difference in the world. That’s what truly helps us.”

For more information and to register for the fundraiser Thursday, click here.

To donate to the Ian Clemens Memorial Scholarship Fund directly:

• Contact December Therrien at the University of Michigan at 734-647-7042
• Or make checks payable to the University of Michigan with the notation, “Gift — Ian Clemens Memorial Scholarship Fund,” and send to the UM College of Engineering, 1221 Beal Avenue, Ste. G264, Ann Arbor, 48109-2012
• Or donate online at giving.umich.edu/give/eng-clemens

Julie Edgar is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com