Legacy gifts secure our future Howard Higholt
1936-2020
After his wife, Carlisle Wrigley Sullivan Higholt ’57, passed away in 1979, Howard Higholt made a commitment to continue supporting her alma mater. For more than 40 years, Howard was a devoted and enthusiastic Mayfield benefactor. He stepped forward as a leadership sponsor for every single Mayfield Benefit, and was a familiar face at those springtime fundraising galas. Over the years, he came to think of our Mayfield family as his family, and looked forward to the annual reunions—he rarely missed a Benefit! But we certainly missed Howard at our “Rhapsody in Red” Benefit, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Strub Hall. That same evening, on March 7, 2020, the Lord had prepared another banquet for him in Heaven,
Susan Brady Alfaro ’53
where he was finally reunited with his beloved wife, his sons, Marc and Jonathan, and other dear friends and family. But our generous benefactor and friend was certainly with us in spirit. Howard also supported every Mayfield capital campaign, helping to build the Hayden Building and the Sr. Mary Wilfrid Yore Gymnasium, and supporting various remodeling projects during the Faith in Our Future campaign. During his lifetime, he also became a member of the Bellefontaine Society, Mayfield’s legacy giving group. Howard’s parting gift to Mayfield was a transformative estate gift to boost our endowment fund—a reflection of his strong belief that Catholic education changes the lives of young women.
1935-2020
When Susan Brady Alfaro ’53 joined the Bellefontaine Society in 2007, she was unequivocal about why she wanted to include Mayfield in her estate plans: “ ‘Actions Not Words’ remains my mantra,” she said. After her parents divorced, Susan attended several high schools before arriving at Mayfield—with a very uneven transcript and an “ambitious college list.” She “made a pact” with the nuns: “There was much hard work, extra assignments and drilling to improve my SAT scores,” Susan said, but she got into her dream school—Stanford University. “I still thank Mayfield for their support.” Ambitious and artistic, Susan had an iconoclastic streak, and a talent for working
with her hands. Her varied career path included time as a graphic artist and a florist, and she also volunteered at a sports center for disabled athletes in Lake Tahoe. She was also devoted to her husband, Kim Alfaro. She cared for him as he battled cancer, before passing away in March 2020. Soon after, Susan received a cancer diagnosis herself and, tragically, died just months later, in August 2020. Susan’s Mayfield yearbook quote was “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm,” and she certainly exhibited a remarkable zest for life. Susan dedicated her life’s legacy to support three causes dear to her heart: “cancer research, animal rescue and, especially, Mayfield Senior School.”
My Legacy, My Gift Susan, Howard and Missey joined the Bellefontaine Society when they included Mayfield Senior School in their estate plans—a decision that will help Mayfield’s “important work” to endure. You can bequeath a percentage or residue of your estate, a specific dollar amount, or make gifts of life insurance, retirement funds, and other deferred gifts. To learn more about the advantages of making charitable bequests to Mayfield, please contact Angela Howell ’76, Associate Head of School for Strategic Initiatives, at (626) 204-1006 or angela.howell@mayfieldsenior.org.
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OUR LEGAL TITLE IS: MAYFIELD SENIOR SCHOOL OF THE HOLY CHILD JESUS
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