As children of the Depression era, Marjory & Harold Reichert used their talents to give back to the communities in which they resided. Living humbly in Pennsylvania, Margie and Harold were known as the neighborhood cook and handyman, respectively. Whenever a family needed a home-cooked meal, Margie was there. Harold, a WWII pilot, was a metallurgist and lent a helping hand to others with their home needs. Their daughter, Carole Jones and her husband, David Jones remember them fondly, as she explains, “They made a huge difference in our adult lives.”
When Margie neared the last period of her life, she moved to the Pasadena-area to live with Carole and David. Both Carole’s father and mother had been so frugal throughout their lives that after their passing, there was a little of sum money left. The question was, where would they have wanted that money to go? “We put some money aside for the grandchildren college funds! And, even with that, there was a nice amount left to do something special,” explained Carole. “My mother liked the idea of David being involved and active in the Pasadena community. What if we chose to create a fund that included their name – to honor their generosity throughout their lives.
David explains, “At the time, while we were deciding where to put the funds, we saw that Pasadena Community Foundation was putting together their ‘Be 1 in 100’ campaign that invited individuals to build endowments with the organization. We thought it was a wonderful idea. It was settled. We built our fund with Pasadena Community Foundation.”
The Marjory E. & Harold B. Reichert Endowment for Health focuses on organizations in the health care space. This fund’s focus stemmed from Margie’s last period of her life. While she lived with Carole and David, she was a daily user of health care. For example, they received equipment from the Convalescent Aid Society, a PCF grantee organization, to help support Margie’s end of life care.
“I think my mother and father would be very proud of where this money is going,” says Carole. David chimes in: “This is their legacy.”