BRING PEOPLE WITH YOU: The Life, Legacy and Love Behind the Collins Pigman Endowed Scholarship

“Success isn’t measured by who you leave behind—it’s about how many people you bring with you.” It’s a sentiment Coy and Gladys (Collins) Pigman lived out every day and one their daughter, Heather, still hears echoing in her heart. That phrase, repeated often in their home, now endures through the Collins Pigman Endowed Scholarship at Eastern Kentucky University—a tribute to a couple who believed in helping others, especially those in the EKU service region. 

Born in Whitesburg, Kentucky, Coy grew up in the hills of Eastern Kentucky with humble beginnings. His father left school in the third grade to work in the coal mines, and Coy knew early on what it meant to go without. There were nights when dinner wasn’t guaranteed. But values were never in short supply. “Do what’s right, not what’s easy,” was Coy’s guiding principle—advice he gave often, usually with the sort of heartfelt deliberation that meant you better sit down to hear it. 

But that guiding moral compass isn’t just something Coy said—he lived it every day starting at a very early age. When he was nine years old, a neighborhood child who could not swim fell into the North Fork of the Kentucky River. Coy, who couldn’t swim either, jumped in and pulled the boy to safety. He never spoke of the moment, but decades later, Heather discovered the story online, buried in a newspaper archive. That act of courage, quiet and instinctive, came to define the kind of man he was—someone who would never stand by and watch someone else struggle without extending a helping hand. 

EKU was Coy’s springboard to a different life. With help from a Pell Grant, a tireless work ethic and the support of his sister who put her own dreams on hold to help him, Coy earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from EKU. He even wore a Colonel football jersey; but as Heather put it, he was a much better coach than player. Coaching, teaching and mentoring were where his heart lived. And it was at EKU, through an unlikely favor—delivering a lamp to a dorm room—that he met the love of his life, Gladys Collins. Gladys, a fellow Letcher Countian and EKU Colonel, would later become a passionate English teacher and Coy’s partner in life and purpose. 

Their shared commitment to education shaped the life and legacy they built together. Coy encouraged and guided all of his students to prepare for later careers, whether that meant obtaining their diplomas or learning a trade. Gladys also challenged her students with assignments that required them to look beyond words on a page or something they heard on TV and instead to think critically about the meaning and consequences of words and ideas. These assignments always came with a lesson, typically one centered around helping students find their own core values and purpose in order to reach their goals. Education wasn’t just a job in their household; it was a calling. Success meant nothing if it didn’t include as many of their students as possible.

That belief is what drove Coy, after Gladys passed away, to establish the Collins Pigman Endowed Scholarship. Inspired by Heather’s decision to create a scholarship to honor her parents at her alma mater, University of Central Florida (UCF), Coy quietly chose to fund one at EKU specifically for students from Letcher County—his hometown. His reasoning? A scholarship means one less job, one more opportunity and a better chance to experience the full richness of college life for a student from the mountains, something he never got to fully enjoy because of the financial challenges he faced. 

Coy passed away in May 2023 after a long battle with cancer. Even during hospice care, he was known to offer wisdom and guidance to those around him—never stopping his role as helper, listener and coach. In keeping with his wishes for “nothing big,” there was no traditional service after his passing. But his legacy is deeply felt. In addition to contributions during his life, half of his estate went to supporting scholarships at EKU and the rest to the scholarship his daughter established.  

The Collins Pigman Endowed Scholarship is more than financial assistance. It’s a reminder of a life built on action, integrity and quiet courage. For every student who benefits, Heather hopes they carry forward her parents’ enduring lesson: “Success isn’t measured by who you leave behind—it’s how many people you bring with you that counts.” 

You can help to bridge a financial gap for students with your gift to the Collins Pigman Endowed Scholarship at go.eku.edu/give-CollinsPigman.