Puyallup business owner hopes to inspire future generations through legacy gift

Brigitte Wilkinson didn't know what to expect when she arrived at Good Samaritan Hospital after her husband, Dale, was transported by ambulance following a seizure.

Doctors ran several tests, all of which came back normal. But just before he was sent home, one last test was ordered.

That test ended up saving his life — it detected two brain aneurysms.

"Without the doctors thinking to do that, we never would have known because we were there for something so totally different and unrelated," Brigitte says. "He could have died within days."

Thankfully, Dale had surgery a week later to repair the aneurysms and made a full recovery.

His experience at Good Samaritan was just one of many times Brigitte had visited the hospital. She grew up in Puyallup. Later in life, she became a member of the Good Samaritan Foundation board. She even made donations to fund two patient rooms during her nine years on the board: one in the Family Birth Center, the very same room where two of her grandchildren were born, and one in the new Dally Tower, in honor of her late grandmother.

Brigitte has always been passionate about finding new ways to give back, both personally and financially, to the place where she was born and raised. But she didn't think it would be possible to create an estate plan that reflected her love for her community while also providing financial security for her kids.

After her eighth year on the Good Samaritan Foundation board, Brigitte chose to participate in a free and confidential values-based estate planning process, offered by MultiCare through Thompson & Associates. That experience is what ultimately inspired her to create a gift that will make a difference in the lives of patients and families in her community for years to come — a legacy gift.

"I finally decided to take advantage of the opportunities in front of me to learn more," Brigitte explains. "I procrastinated. I always thought, 'Oh, I'll get to it one day.' When I finally took that leap and met with Lorraine del Prado, MultiCare's Thompson & Associates consultant, I learned about so many different options. We found a way to take care of my family while also leaving a gift for Good Samaritan, which is exactly what I wanted."

Brigitte worked as an executive at Boeing for 32 years before retiring, and now runs two businesses of her own in Puyallup: Four Seasons Concrete Construction and Four Seasons Diesel Services. She wanted to use the platform she'd established through both careers to make an impact on the future of Puyallup, and she encourages other small-business owners, as well as younger generations, to do the same.

"My biggest piece of advice for anyone, no matter their situation, is to get educated earlier on the opportunities available for legacy giving. It takes a little bit of time, but it's well worth the investment," she explains.

Brigitte hopes that her gift can provide comfort and support well into the future for any patient who visits Good Samaritan.

"I would be eternally grateful if my gift has the opportunity to save someone's life. Whether it be during an emergency, through addiction, helping someone with their mental health recovery, or providing a child with an opportunity for extensive rehab at the Children's Therapy Unit. If I can influence some or all of those things in any way with my gift, I'd be very thankful."

Want to learn more about how you can support better, kinder care in your community through your will, trust, life insurance policy, retirement plan or other legacy gift? Interested in receiving information about MultiCare's complimentary values-based estate planning services offered through Thompson & Associates? Contact our gift planning team at 253-403-1264 or visit multicarelegacy.org.