LEGACY STORIES
Dear Friends,
Our mission calls us to help individuals and families create permanent charitable support for Central New York. That support lives on for generations through hundreds of charitable funds, each with its own story. Together, they form a powerful testament to what is possible when generosity is paired with foresight.
As we look toward our 100th year in 2027, we are especially mindful that milestones like this are built not only on the work of today, but on the visions of those who planned for tomorrow. Legacy giving is an act of trust. It reflects a deep connection to place, a gratitude for opportunities received, and a desire to ensure that future generations can thrive here.
In our fifth edition of Living Legacies, we honor and celebrate the stories of individuals who were determined to leave this community stronger than they found it. Some gave out of gratitude. Others out of resilience. Others still to forge pathways for those they will never meet. Each story is different — but all share a common thread: a belief that we are stronger when we invest in one another.
As we approach our Centennial, we are not simply celebrating longevity. We are strengthening the foundation beneath us. We are inviting more people to see themselves as part of this region’s long-term story. And we are reaffirming a core belief: everyone has something to give — whether today, tomorrow, or as a lasting legacy.
The next 100 years will be shaped, in part, by the courage and planning of those who choose to leave a legacy today.
To those who have already made that commitment, thank you. Your vision stretches far beyond a single lifetime.
And to those considering it, we hope these stories inspire you to imagine the difference your legacy could make — not just in the next year or decade, but for generations to come.
The spirit of generosity that is common among our donors and nonprofit partners encompasses more than just tangible resources and monetary 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 giving voice to the life lessons and experiences that have shaped your own generosity is a gift in itself.
To learn more about options for preserving your charitable legacy, contact:
JAN LANE
LEGACY@CNYCF.ORG
OR VISIT 5FORCNY.ORG
02 | NICHOLAS & AGNES RENZI
03 | MARJORIE DEY CARTER
05 | TERESA MOTZ
MELANIE LITTLEJOHN President and CEO
NICHOLAS & AGNES RENZI
When Nicholas and Agnes Renzi moved to Cortland in 1971, they didn’t just settle into a new town — they became part of its fabric. Over the next five decades, they poured their time, talent and resources into the place they proudly called home. Their lives were marked by humility, gratitude and a deep belief that strong communities thrive when neighbors care for one another.
Today, that belief lives on through a transformational bequest that will support Cortland County residents for generations.
Nick grew up in the Bronx as the son of Italian immigrants who instilled in him the importance of hard work and giving what you can. A talented student, he earned a scholarship to City College of New York before completing his master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Columbia University. Those opportunities shaped the rest of his life, fueling a deep appreciation for education and a desire to help others access the same.
His career with Pall Corporation ultimately brought him to Cortland, where he rose to senior vice president overseeing operations in Cortland and Puerto Rico.
Agnes was equally devoted to service. A certified braille transcriber, she spent more than two decades making books accessible to children who are blind, lovingly translating elementary school texts through the National Braille Association. Certified by the Library of Congress, she completed thousands of hours of painstaking, quiet work that improved the lives of young readers she would never meet.
Together, Nick and Agnes lived their values: family first, community always and gratitude expressed through action.
The Renzis’ generosity touched Cortland in ways both visible and unseen. During his lifetime, Nick contributed $1 million to establish the Renzi Cancer Center at Guthrie Cortland Medical Center and another $1 million to the Guthrie Cortland Renzi Health Campus. He also funded community enhancements such as the
Westminster chimes dedicated at the Cincinnatus Area Heritage Society in 2021.
Agnes passed away in 2020; Nick continued their charitable work until his death in 2025. In keeping with their shared wishes, he directed in his will that the Central New York Community Foundation steward their final act of generosity.
Through their estate and lifetime giving, the Renzis established two endowed funds at the Community Foundation: the Nicholas and Agnes Renzi Charitable Fund, supporting the nonprofit organizations they loved most, and the Nicholas & Agnes Renzi Fund for Cortland County, a more than $14 million endowment that will provide broad support for Cortland residents far into the future.
Endowed funds are structured to last for generations: a portion is granted out annually while the remainder is invested for long-term growth. Over time, the cumulative impact is expected to surpass the original gift many times over — a model that resonated deeply with Nick’s thoughtful, forward-looking approach to service and planning.
“Nick and Agnes believed deeply in giving back to the community that became their home,” said Melanie Littlejohn, president & CEO of the Community Foundation. “Their generosity will empower Cortland County nonprofits to create lasting change. We are honored to steward their legacy and ensure their impact continues in perpetuity.”
The Renzi Fund for Cortland County will expand the Community Foundation’s Community Grants program into Cortland County for the first time, opening new
opportunities for nonprofits across health, human services, education, arts and culture, environment, civic engagement and more. It will also support participatory budgeting, inviting residents to help identify local priorities and shape solutions — a reflection of the Renzis’ belief that communities are strongest when everyone has a voice.
“THIS IS A TRUE TURNING POINT FOR OUR LOCAL NONPROFIT SECTOR,” SAID COMMUNITY FOUNDATION BOARD MEMBER AND CORTLAND RESIDENT CATHERINE BERTINI. “THE RENZI FAMILY’S GENEROSITY WILL OPEN DOORS FOR GREATER COLLABORATION, INNOVATION AND STABILITY.”
Nick and Agnes’s final gift is a continuation of that gratitude, ensuring that children, families and neighbors will have access to care, opportunity and support long into the future.
Their legacy is one of quiet service and profound impact, a reflection of who they were and what they believed: that a community thrives when everyone is given the chance to succeed. Through their endowed funds, the Renzis’ generosity will echo forward, strengthening Cortland forever.
Pictured: Nick Renzi
Cover Photo: Nick and Agnes Renzi stand together atop Mount Marcy.
MARJORIE DEY CARTER
Syracuse’s first Black teacher passes on her blessings
Pictured: Marjorie Dey Carter, May 1977
Photo provided by the Onondaga Historical Association
Before he became a renowned clarinetist and music teacher, one young boy in North Syracuse learned his most important lesson not from a concert hall, but from his first-grade teacher, Marjorie Dey Carter. When his parents removed him from her class upon discovering she was Black, Carter knelt down, hugged him, and said, “You know I still love you.”
Decades later, he would remember that moment as his first experience of unconditional love — and the foundation for everything he would become.
“Person after person after person told us about the experiences they had with her as students and what an influence she had on them,” said one of Carter’s cousins, Jo Anne Bakeman. “That was very much the norm for the way she treated students and expressed herself.”
Carter passed away April 25, 2024, at age 97 after decades serving the community she loved as an educator and volunteer. The first Black teacher hired by the Syracuse City School District and a trailblazer advocating for teachers and students, she named the Community Foundation as the recipient of her estate to fuel our Community Grantmaking, which provides perpetual support to address the greatest needs of the Central New York community. Nonprofit organizations receive grants through the program to fund innovative projects in the areas of arts and culture, civic affairs, education, health, human services, and the environment.
Carter, a descendant of the Black farming community in South Onondaga, lived in
Syracuse. She aspired to be a teacher from at least sixth grade, when an attentive teacher encouraged her curiosity and intellect.
She graduated from the former Central High School on South Warren Street, where she was among just a handful of Black students in the college preparatory program. She graduated from Cortland State Teachers College in 1950, the first Black student at the school, and was hired to teach first and second grade at the former Syracuse City School District’s Charles Andrews School. She was the district’s first and only Black teacher for four years.
“I knew I had to do the best job I could, as a teacher,” she said in 1990. “[Being] Black, I knew I’d have to take a little extra step. My main concern was giving the kids as much as I could, stretching them as much as I could.”
She advocated for students, working on federally funded programs to improve classroom instruction for youth living in under-resourced neighborhoods in Syracuse, and she was an early proponent for team teaching. She later worked for the district as an instructional specialist.
In 1972, Carter became the first Black female president of the Syracuse Teachers’ Association. She was active in local, state and national professional education groups, including serving as a delegate to China and Lesotho, South Africa, to share educational practices.
She retired in 1990 after 40 years of teaching and remained active in the community.
Despite her trailblazing career, Carter was quiet and matter-of-fact. “She never tooted her own horn,” Bakeman, her cousin, says. “Imagine what a big thing that was to be the first Black teacher and to lead the teachers’ union. She had such influence at a time when we needed it.”
According to her cousin, Carter’s bequest was right in character. “I believe she had a sense of her impact,” Bakeman said. “She saw the role of teachers as important. She was active in organizations she felt were important.”
“I believe she saw herself as extremely blessed. She believed she had been extremely fortunate and this is her way of giving back.”
To learn more about options for preserving your charitable legacy, contact:
Pictured: Marjorie stands alongside her longtime friend and former colleague, Vivian Moore, at her 95th birthday celebration.
Pictured: Marjorie in October 1926, at 2 months old.
Teresa Motz
Pictured: Teresa Motz
Teresa Motz lived with a deep belief that life was meant to be lived with purpose, joy and connection. Hard-working, courageous and joyfully unconventional, she brought people together through laughter, friendship, food, music, dance and shared human experience.
Above all, Teresa believed in loving people — treating every person with dignity, respect and faith in their potential.
“She wanted to swaddle people in the comforts of home,” her sister Jean said. “Whether assembling dish kits for individuals moving into independent housing or bringing dozens of pies to community meals, Teresa believed small, practical acts could preserve dignity and belonging.”
Raised on a family farm outside Cincinnati as the second oldest of eight children, Teresa learned early the values that would shape every chapter of her life: responsibility, perseverance, ingenuity and independence. Those farm values fueled an extraordinary professional path. After earning bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics, she began her career at an aircraft engine manufacturer, where at just age 25 she co-invented an optical inspection device. She later earned a master’s degree in optical engineering from the University of Rochester’s Institute of Optics and went on to work as an optical engineer in the Finger Lakes region.
Teresa’s work continues to touch daily life around the world. Her innovations advanced endoscopic imaging and barcode scanning technologies now used in health care, air travel and everyday commerce. She authored professional publications, contributed to international optical standards and earned multiple patents. Even in highly technical spaces, her family recalls, Teresa consistently asked how systems could better serve people — especially those who are vulnerable or too often overlooked.
Later in life, a series of serious accidents and inadequate recovery resources dramatically altered Teresa’s physical abilities and outlook. From that lived experience emerged a new mission rooted in trauma awareness, recovery and hope. She became a passionate advocate for integrated, person-centered support that connects body, mind and spirit — and for language that affirms dignity rather than limitation.
She coined the term “diff-abled,” reframing disability as difference rather than deficit, and believed deeply in the resilience of those navigating illness, trauma or changed capacity. That philosophy guided her tireless community engagement — from collaborating with hospitals, educators and service providers to organizing community dances, performing original music and comedy, assembling hygiene and household kits, and creating inclusive spaces for art, movement and dialogue.
Before her death in 2024 at age 65, Teresa made plans to ensure that her work would continue. Through a legacy gift to the Central New York Community Foundation,
she established the Hope and Healing Through Empowering Support (HAHTES) Fund — a field-of-interest fund supporting nonprofits and programs that serve people in Cayuga County, with a focus on individuals with physical or psychological challenges when recovering from traumatic life events.
Through the Community Foundation’s grantmaking, Teresa’s vision lives on: inviting collaboration, elevating those in need of support, and daring communities to make a meaningful difference — together.
“Through this fund, her compassion, creativity and belief in people will continue,” her family said.
As Teresa often signed her letters — a
Pictured: Teresa accepts an award recognizing her three earned patents.
Pictured: Teresa volunteers at a fundraising event.
Pictured: Teresa contra dancing.
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