Living Legacies | 2021

A PUBLICATION OF THE CENTRAL NEW YORK COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

LEE GAT TA & JOE REDDICK: COMMUNITY CAREGIVERS PG.7

2021 L I V I N G L E GAC I E S - 2021

1

PETER A. DUNN PRESIDENT & CEO

Dear Friends, Legacy is less about what is left behind than what lives on.

The Community Foundation is built on legacy. In 1927, a small group of thoughtful, committed local residents came together to create a permanent source of charitable support for Central New York. Many of the gifts that helped establish the foundation continue to support the community today.

These legacy gifts are endowed to live on for future generations. So, too, are the stories that accompany them.

In the inaugural installment of Living Legacies, we honor and celebrate the vision of our legacy donors, past and present, with stories of compassion, resilience and inspiration.

EVENTS & OFFERINGS The spirit of generosity that is common among our donors and nonprofit partners encompasses more than just tangible resources and monetary

With gratitude,

Our legacy planning workbook includes a series of exercises and writing prompts to help you document your charitable inspirations in your own words.

The workbook is available in both digital and print formats.

gifts. When we engage in philanthropy, we are telling the world what is important to us through the causes we support. Sharing your story and

Peter Dunn

WORKBOOK

giving voice to the life lessons and experiences that have shaped your

WORKSHOPS

own generosity is another form of giving back.

The Community Foundation offers

In addition to preserving your charitable legacy for future generations, telling the story of what motivates your philanthropy can inspire others to take action and effect positive change. Sometimes, shedding light on our memories can help illuminate a path toward hope and comfort for others who have shared a similar experience. Alternatively, we might find that an early act of kindness from our childhood or a long-held family tradition is reflected in our current giving.

No matter where you are in your life, telling your story and sharing what

workshops for individuals and community groups interested in engaging with civic-minded peers in a supportive atmosphere. These interactive workshops explore values-based exercises and communal conversation to help participants reflect on their giving stories and giving visions.

matters most is a valuable exercise. Of course, getting started is often the hardest part. Because your story is important to us, we have devised a series of tools and resources designed to help you find your voice, and each of these are available in-person or remotely.

MEETINGS We can meet with you individually, or with your family, to facilitate a

2

To learn more about Community Foundation legacy events and offerings,

conversation about what matters

please contact Jan Lane at legacy@cnycf.org or (315) 883-5546. Learn

to you most and how we can help

more at cnycf.org.

preserve your charitable legacy.

CENTRAL NEW YORK COMMUNIT Y FOUNDATION

RON & MARGARET PECKHAM CHARITABLE GIVING: ALL IN THE FAMILY

Ron and Margaret Peckham believe you make a living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give. Through the Peckham Family Fund, they are making a life and a legacy in Central New York.

Ron, a former engineer, and

Ron and Margaret’s story is a great

Margaret, a retired teacher, have

example of one of the myriad

lived in the same house for almost

ways donors may engage family

40 years. Central New York is the

members in giving. By discussing

place where they raised their

their charitable interests and

three children and now host their

wishes with their children ahead

grandchildren during holidays and

of time, they have created an

family gatherings.

opportunity for the family to ask questions and gain deeper

Both Margaret and Ron were

understanding of their core values.

raised by parents who instilled in them a strong appreciation for

No matter which option is best for

giving back. Perhaps it should

your family, talking about giving

come as no surprise, then, that

is a crucial step toward inspiring

family and community are at the

future generations. Where and why

heart of their giving.

we give is personal. Sharing your stories and experiences, especially

“We have three children and

those relating to charitable giving

we have essentially considered

and civic engagement, provides an

our donor-advised fund at the

opportunity to clarify what matters

Community Foundation as our

most and how you wish to be

fourth adopted child. The proceeds

remembered.

of our estate will be divided equally among the four of them,” Ron said.

By engaging family members from future generations as successor

Ron and Margaret have broken

advisors to the fund, Ron and

their giving down into two

Margaret are also ensuring that

phases – what they can do now

their family’s connection to

and what they can do to leave a

community impact will live on in

legacy. Their donor-advised fund,

Central New York.

partially funded with current gifts to facilitate their lifetime giving,

“This is about a lifelong

will enable even greater giving

commitment to the Syracuse

with the eventual addition of their

community,” said Ron. “My dad

combined estate gift.

used to say, ‘Many hands make light work.’ It’s our collective

This approach allows the couple

responsibility to do what we can

to directly support the community

to make our community a better

causes most important to them

place to live.”

while also preparing future

RON AND MARGARET PECKHAM

generations to perpetuate the

To learn more about options for

couple’s legacy of generosity long

preserving your charitable legacy,

after they’re gone. It is important

contact Jan Lane at

to them and their children to

legacy@cnycf.org or visit

continue the family’s multi-

5forCNY.org.

generational tradition of giving.

L I V I N G L E GAC I E S - 2021

3

BEQUEST STORY

CAROL PALMER

4

CENTRAL NEW YORK COMMUNIT Y FOUNDATION

LOCAL TEACHER LEAVES SIZEABLE BEQUEST TO SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY Caroline Palmer, known to her many relatives as Aunt Carol, made everyone feel special and worthy of her attention.

Whether it was a family member, one of her second grade students, or a friend from church, Carol was considered a person you could count on for honesty, patience and respect.

CAROLINE PALMER (BOT TOM LEFT) WITH HER SISTERS

“She felt like a mom to me and I

In addition to helping her family

feel that she considered me as a

and the Plymouth Congregational

daughter,” Pat Shute, Carol’s niece,

Church, Carol also supported the

recalled. “She didn’t have children

Southern Poverty Law Center,

of her own but she was supportive

Berea College, the Rescue Mission,

and she treated each person as

The Salvation Army and Habitat for

they were. They were special to

Humanity.

her.”

Emiel, who passed away in 2002, Carol grew up with seven sisters

and Carol worked their whole lives

and two brothers during the Great

to accumulate their wealth. Their

Depression. The family was hit

bequest, which formed the Carol

hard from the economic downfall,

W. & Emiel D. Palmer Fund at the

and her nephews attributed

Community Foundation, totaled

her giving nature to that early

nearly $300,000.

experience.

Tom Griffith, vice president of “Being shaped by her own

development at the Community

impoverished childhood made her

Foundation, said Carol was drawn

want to help others, especially

to establishing an endowed

those affected by poverty,” said

community fund for its longevity.

her nephew, Mike Shute.

“Part of our mission is to celebrate

CAROLINE WITH HER HUSBAND, EMIEL

Carol attended Syracuse

the legacy of people like Carol who

University followed by Hartford

care about Central New York,” he

Seminary, and then began her

said. “We are honored that she

life of service as the director of

chose to work with us in this way

Christian education at a church in

and look forward to stewarding

Connecticut. Later, she attended

her fund and her story for decades

SUNY Cortland where she received

to come.”

her master’s degree in education.

She also met and married Emiel

Tom added how her legacy will

Palmer, who worked for 39 years at

carry on: “Now, Carol’s ability to

the SUNY College of Environmental

make each person feel special will

Science and Forestry. He loved folk

reach beyond her imagination

arts and charitable giving as much

as her generous spirit will live

as Carol did.

on through her fund, supporting generations of Central New

Giving was central to Carol’s life.

Yorkers.”

“It was really her way of fulfilling her Christian doctrine,” said Mike.

L I V I N G L E GAC I E S - 2021

5

WHERE THERE’S A WILL, THERE’S A WAY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

SAY WHO WILL OVERSEE THE EXECUTION OF YOUR ESTATE PLAN. It is important to appoint an executor/ executrix — and ideally a back-up – whom you trust to carry out your wishes.

Everyone leaves a legacy and what we do today will impact how we are remembered in the future. We may not be able to control who lives or dies, but we can control who tells our story.

We can tell our own story and

It is commonplace for many of us to avoid estate planning for a whole host of reasons, including avoidance or procrastination, the belief that it is strictly for older adults or those with lots of money or property, or simply because we don’t know where to start. We can start by writing a will.

NAME GUARDIANS FOR YOUR CHILDREN – AND PETS. For children or dependents under 18, you can appoint legal guardians. You can also use your will to have a say in who will look after your furry friends if they outlive you.

by passing down our values to

While it is just one of several legal documents you might consider, a will is the centerpiece of any estate plan. There are many online resources for writing a will and estate planning attorneys are increasingly offering remote will drafting services that make the process quicker and more convenient.

SUPPORT YOUR FAVORITE CHARITIES.

6

CENTRAL NEW YORK COMMUNIT Y FOUNDATION

even help write the epilogue – children and grandchildren, by sharing our personal and family histories and life lessons, and by leaving meaningful and lasting

PROVIDE FOR YOUR LOVED ONES.

gifts to loved ones, community and

Making a will allows you to define how your assets will be distributed – and to whom – upon your death. Articulating your final wishes through your will can also spare your loved ones from having to fill in the blanks during a time of grieving when you are gone.

charity.

To learn more about options for preserving your charitable legacy, contact Jan Lane at jlane@cnycf.org or visit 5forCNY.org.

You can use your will to direct bequest gifts to your favorite charitable causes.

This is a simple and straightforward way to define your charitable legacy and make a lasting difference for future generations.

SUPPORT YOUR COMMUNITY. A growing number of community members are recognizing the importance of keeping their charitable dollars in Central New York as wealth transfer projections predict unprecedented levels of wealth passing from one generation to the next, much of it leaving our community to heirs living out of town. This kind of boost could provide a permanent source of funding for local organizations and causes that will greatly improve the lives of our friends and neighbors.

JAN LANE

DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

LEE & JOE COMMUNITY CAREGIVERS

L

ee Gatta and her husband,

supports programs that promote

Joe Reddick, feel blessed by

self-sufficiency for women and

the support they have received

girls and educates women and girls

over the years from Syracuse

about philanthropy.

and Central New York. It was the community’s support that inspired

“None of us would have gotten

them to give back by establishing a

where we are today without

charitable giving plan through the

someone in our lives to encourage

Community Foundation.

and mentor us, and many of the young people in our community

For both Lee and Joe, their

do not have that,” said Lee. “The

firsthand experiences with family

Women’s Fund is helping to fill that

caregiving were labors of love

gap and we are devoted to helping

and catalysts for future giving.

them achieve their goals.”

They became caregivers for Lee’s mother, Elinor W. Gatta, after she

Lee and Joe had their sights set

had her third stroke, which blinded

on a charitable gift much larger

her and caused some paralysis.

than they were comfortable

Lee found that caregivers need

contributing now, so they decided

assistance navigating the range of

to use a life insurance policy

services available for their loved

to achieve their goal. The life

ones and to find time to take care

insurance proceeds at Lee’s death

of themselves.

will fund the Lee M. Gatta and Joe Reddick Fund, which will provide

“We would like to provide

funding in the Central New York

opportunities that lighten the

community for issues that are

load for those that carry so much

of primary importance to them:

responsibility for the care of

the support of women and girls

another,” said Lee.

through the work of the Women’s Fund, eldercare and cancer

The couple, in coordination with

care coordination and caregiver

family members and friends, also

support.

played a crucial role in supporting Joe’s mother, Dorothy Dale

They chose an insurance policy

Reddick; his sister, Joanne Reddick;

with terms that fit their goals and

and brother, Maxi Reddick, during

the Community Foundation agreed

their respective battles with

to be both owner and beneficiary

cancer.

of the policy. Their continued gifts to cover the policy premiums

“Many organizations provided

are eligible for a tax deduction.

information along the way, offering

The flexibility of life insurance

emotional support to our loved

allows this option to be tailored

ones and to us. This is our way of

to each donor’s unique situation.

showing our appreciation,” said

Their fund will carry on for many

Joe.

generations, designed to take care of the community that has taken

Family remembrance was equally

care of them.

pivotal in Lee’s introduction to

LEE AND JOE STAND ON THE QUAD OF SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY, WHICH HOLDS A PROMINENT PLACE IN THEIR HEARTS AS THE CENTER OF THE CITY WHERE THEY GIVE. JOE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE GREATER SYRACUSE SPORTS HALL OF FAME IN 2018.

the Women’s Fund of Central New

Lee and Joe’s selfless generosity

York. She was asked to serve on

will have a significant impact on

its Leadership Council as a way

the causes they care about long

to honor her sister-in-law, Joanne

after they are gone, leaving a

Reddick, after her death. The

lasting legacy that changes the

Women’s Fund, an affiliate fund

lives of others and inspires the

of the Community Foundation,

community to do the same.

L I V I N G L E GAC I E S - 2021

7

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Syracuse, NY Permit No. 1352

CNY PHILANTHROPY CENTER 431 EAST FAYETTE STREET SUITE 100 SYRACUSE, NEW YORK 13202 315.422.9538

WILLIAM H. BROWER

STAFF

BOARD

If you do not wish to continue receiving our mailings, please email us at: info@cnycf.org.

HONORABLE JULIE A. CECILE CASEY CRABILL, ED.D. KARIN SLOAN DELANEY, ESQ. CARAGH D. FAHY, CFP ® DANIEL J. FISHER

PRESIDENT & CEO

KIMBERLY P. SADOWSKI, CPA

Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

ELIZABETH T. HARTMAN, CPA

Controller

KATE FELDMEIER FRANZ

KYMBERLE BENDERSKI

Manager, Foundation & Facility Operations

LEE GAT TA, CLU ® , CHFC ® , AEP ®

DANA FIEL

Vice President, Communications

TERRI M. EVANS

Communications Officer

Finance Associate

BEA GONZÁLEZ

Administrative Associate

KATRINA M. CROCKER JULIET R. MALOFF DARA M. HARPER

Events & Communications Associate

DEVELOPMENT THOMAS M. GRIFFITH, AEP ® , CAP ® , CHFC ®

DR. EMAD RAHIM, PMP, OMCP, CSM, CM, CKF, CCPM

Vice President, Development

REBECCA BRONFEIN RAPHAEL

Senior Director, Philanthropic Services

MONICA M. MERANTE,

CAP ®

JAN L. LANE

KEVIN E. SCHWAB

Development Officer

GENERAL COUNSEL

Development Officer

MARY ANNE CODY, ESQ.

Manager, Strategic Initiatives

COMMUNICATIONS

GRACE B. GHEZZI, CPA/PFS/CFF, CFP ® , CFE, AEP ®

MICHAEL F. MEATH

DASHIELL M. ELLIOT T

GERIANNE P. CORRADINO

Finance Manager

CAROLYN GERAKOPOULOS

ROBYN L. SMITH

Director, Strategic Initiatives

SEAN REED JR.

DARRELL D. BUCKINGHAM

SUSAN FURTNEY, MPH

DANIELLE M. JOHNSON

Director, Grants & Programs

Program Officer

Accountant

MARK A. FULLER, CPA

LARRY R. LEATHERMAN

FRANK M. RIDZI, PHD

Vice President, Community Investment

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

STEPHEN D. FOURNIER

DAREN C. JAIME

COMMUNITY INVESTMENT

PETER A. DUNN

SAY YES SYRACUSE AHMEED H. TURNER

Executive Director

DANA E. LYONS-CANTY

Manager, Post-secondary Scholarship Access and Completion

PRAGYA S. MURPHY, MBA JENNY E. GREEN

Manager, Philanthropic Services

MEMBERS OF OUR LEGACY SOCIETY AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2020 ANONYMOUS (88) LESTER C. ALLEN EUGENE G. ARMANI PAMELA V. ASHMEAD ANNETTE LINDEMER BECKER RONALD & CAROLE BECKMAN ANNETTE & LEE BENSON CATHERINE BERTINI PATRICIA+ & WALTER BLACKLER STEVEN BLIND VICKI BRACKENS WILLIAM V. BRENNAN THOMAS A. BRISK+ & GERALD M. MAGER HAROLD BRISTOL PHILLIP+ & HELEN BUCK MINNA R. BUCK ALICIA & DICK CALAGIOVANNI ANNE M. CARNICELLI KATHLEEN A. CARPENTER JAMES CASASANTA & CATHERINE CASASANTA JOHN G. CHOMYK SYLVIA & WILLIAM COHEN MARILYN F. CROSBY MICHAEL & ELAINE CROUGH BOB & JOAN DERRENBACKER PETER J. EMERSON PAUL M. ENGLE TIMOTHY & KAYE FENLON (+) INDICATES DECEASED MEMBER OF A LEGACY COUPLE

RALPH FERRARA DORRIS A. FOX MARC B. FRIED IAN GALLACHER & JULIA MCKINSTRY LEE M. GATTA & JOE REDDICK BARBARA W. GENTON LINDA DICKERSON HARTSOCK MR.+ & MRS. BURNETT D. HAYLOR WILLIAM & SANDRA HEMMERLEIN BERNIE G. HENDERSON LINDA L. HENLEY PATRICIA A. HOFFMAN ALEXANDER+ & CHARLOTTE HOLSTEIN JOYCE DAY HOMAN MR. & MRS. ROBERT L. HOOD DR. PETER & MARY HUNTINGTON SANDRA HURD & JOEL POTASH ELAINE & STEVEN L. JACOBS ELSPETH J.C. KERR MRS. SALLY KIMBALL KATHLEEN & JAMES KINSEY JESSE KLINE MARIE M. KLOSSNER MR. & MRS. JOHN H. KOERNER GEORGE & LUELLA KRAHL JIM & HARRIET KEYSOR LECHANDER MARTHA LEOPOLD H. RICHARD LEVY ZALIE & BOB LINN

ANNE GILMOUR LLOYD JAMES E. MACKIN, ESQ. CANDACE & JOHN MARSELLUS JIM & RUTH MARSHALL HENRY & DONNA MCINTOSH GAIL M. MCINTYRE ELISA MESCON ANNE L. MESSENGER JOAN M. MILLER ALLAN H. & HELEN C. MISKELL PAMELA KIP REISMAN MONACO PAULINE M. MONZ STEPHEN W. MOYER MR. & MRS. JOHN J. MURPHY, III JANET P. & RICHARD W. NEWMAN KATHRYN NICKERSON MARTIN NOLAN THEODORE H. & MARY-PAT NORTHRUP JAMES A. O’CONNOR MARGARET G. OGDEN MARY PAT OLIKER MARGARET & RON PECKHAM STEVE PEKICH EILEEN B. PHILLIPS RICHARD B. & NEVA S. PILGRIM J. DANIEL PLUFF WILLIAM G. POMEROY LUCINDA PORTER MR. & MRS.+ WILLIAM W. PORTER

MARCIA & JAMES QUIGLEY CONSTANCE M. QUINN JON L.+ & JOYCE P. REGIER ROGER & MAGGIE REID NICHOLAS & AGNES+ RENZI MR. & MRS. JEFF & RACHEL RONEY JODI & JEFF ROWE JEFFREY RUBENSTEIN MR. DOUGLAS G. RUSSELL, LUTCF, CLU ROBERT SARASON & JANE BURKHEAD DR. ROBERT G. SARGENT PHYLLIS HOTCHKISS SCHWARTZ BONNIE & RICHARD+ SCOLARO KAREN R. SEYMOUR PAULINE J. SHARP RHODA SIKES STEPHEN H. SIMON BETSY-ANN N. STONE CELESTINE & JOHN THOMPSON CHARLES+ & CYNTHIA G. TRACY HOWARD C. TUPPER JOHN S. TUTTLE SANDRA L. VAN EPPS DR. & MRS. THOMAS R. WELCH ELIZABETH K. WELCH FRANKLIN & DIANE+ WHEELOCK LINDA VERNI WILLIAMS CATHERINE J. WINGER MR. & MRS. J. WARREN YOUNG