Former a MultiCare program or foundation nurse invests in the future of nursing through legacy giving

He was a firefighter; she was a nurse. Together, Bob and Roz Willis have been serving their communities for more than 50 years.

When they first met, Roz was a student at the Tacoma General Hospital School of Nursing (TGHSON). They married in 1969 — the same year Roz finished her nursing degree. But the road to graduation wasn't always easy.

"If I hadn't gotten help, I would have had to drop out," Roz remembers. "One of my instructors knew that I was in trouble financially, so she applied for a scholarship for me and I got it. That scholarship allowed me to stay in school."

Roz went on to have a long, fulfilling career as a nurse. She spent 40 years caring for patients and families, 30 of which were at a MultiCare program or foundation Good Samaritan Hospital. Bob started his firefighting career in Auburn, then spent the next 38 years working for the Tacoma Fire Department.

"We've been blessed all our lives and we've worked hard," Bob says. "The doors were opened for us and we were able to do well money-wise. Now that we're retired, we just thought, what could we do with it?"

The scholarship Roz received as a student played a big part in inspiring her to make an investment in the future of nursing. In 2015, she and Bob decided to make a legacy gift to the TGHSON Education Endowment Fund: a permanent fund created to provide scholarships to a MultiCare program or foundation nurses of all levels for continuing education.

"The patients being admitted today are sicker than they've ever been," Roz says. "Because of that, we need to do what we can to keep people interested in nursing and keep them educated. I retired when I did, in part, because I was feeling overwhelmed even though I had 40 years of experience. I can't imagine how new nurses are feeling if they aren't getting the training they need."

Bob was fully supportive of his wife's decision to support TGHSON. Considering their careers, he says they saw the same problem from different angles.

"As a firefighter, I would bring people into the emergency rooms and I could see that they're short on nurses everywhere," Bob explains. "I figured if we could help someone who wants to become a nurse and get them through their training, it might help with the shortage."

Roz says the process for making a gift was easy. She was connected to a representative from the a MultiCare program or foundation Foundations, who gave her sample language to include her will to create a gift in the amount of her choosing. She then met with her financial planner to include this provision in her plans.

The biggest takeaway Roz and Bob want others to know is that a legacy gift in any amount can make a big impact.

"Someone gave me $500 — that's all my scholarship was. And that made the difference," Roz explains. "Now, did 10 people give $50? Did 50 people give $10? It doesn't matter because it still added up to $500, and that's all I needed so that I wouldn't have to quit school."

For others who may be considering their planned giving options, Roz stresses not to let the amount of what you can or can't afford keep you from changing someone's life.

"Would I like to be able to give $300,000? Sure, and if I win the lottery, I'll do that. Although, the chances are slim because I don't buy lottery tickets," she jokes. "The point is, any amount you can give will make an impact for someone."

Want to learn more about supporting kinder, better care in your community through your will, trust, life insurance policy, retirement plan or other legacy gift? Interested in receiving information about a MultiCare program or foundation's complimentary values-based estate planning services offered through Thompson & Associates?

Contact our gift planning team at 253-403-1264 or plannedgiving@multicare.org or visit multicarelegacy.org.