Mark and Wendy Holcomb create a legacy inspired by a family of caregivers

By: Kortney Scroger

What does it mean to leave a legacy? To Mark and Wendy Holcomb, it means leaving your community better than you found it.

"Both of us really believe in Tacoma and care about creating a healthy community," Wendy says. "Your health and wellbeing are the foundation for your life. We think that access to health care is a strong piece of equity that all people should have."

Mark and Wendy both grew up surrounded by generations of caregivers. Mark's mother found her calling as a pediatric nurse after returning to school later in life. Wendy's father was a physician and hospital administrator, her mother was a pediatric nurse practitioner and her sister is a hospice nurse.

"We both come from strong connections to health care," Wendy says. "I think that's what inspired both of us to become advocates within the health care field and support strong health care, because we value that as a key component to a healthy community."

Over the years, their support has taken many different forms. Wendy is a longtime Mary Bridge Brigade member and Mary Bridge Children's Festival of Trees volunteer. Mark became a member of the Mary Bridge Children's Foundation Board. He served as Board Chair for several terms and helped found the Professional Legacy Advisory Council, which educates the broader community on the personal and financial benefits of legacy giving and estate planning.

"While I was on the board, one of the more inspiring and rewarding things was the legacy gifts that would come through unexpectedly," Mark explains. "I was always touched by that. It didn't matter the dollar amount; it was people that felt very strongly about giving to Mary Bridge at the time of their death because of the care they or a loved one received. A gift at the time of death places emphasis on one's life-long priorities."

Legacy gifts and stories like these motivate the Holcombs to continue to give and to inspire others to join them.

"I think about the collective impact we can have," Wendy says. "By ourselves we may feel like a small drip in the pot, but together, we can make a huge difference. Leaving a legacy is a strong message that we get to share about what we value and care about."

Want to learn how you can support better care in your community through your will, trust, retirement plan or other legacy gift? Contact our gift planning team at 253-403-1264 or plannedgiving@multicare.org.