Jewish Community Partners

When Curt Ward* turned 103, he decided it was time to establish his Jewish philanthropic legacy. Curt had been supporting Jewish community needs for nearly 70 years, but he wanted to make a lasting positive impact. He told his personal advisor, Bill Loveless, “If I don’t set aside gifts now in my will, I won’t have a chance to fund the programs that are special to me and my family.”

Bill met with Curt to review his will and Curt earmarked monies to endow four designated funds. These charitable bequests, as specified in Curt’s will and managed by Bill, would ensure Curt’s exact philanthropic wishes were met.

Bill was particularly invested in supporting Curt’s charitable giving – he and Curt had known one another since Bill was a child. Bill considered Curt family and his children adopted Curt as their honorary uncle.

As Bill explained, “I knew Curt was a generous soul and a compassionate man, but I did not know the stories that compelled Curt to leave legacy gifts. He was incredibly humble and did not ever tout his own achievements. The conversation we had about setting up charitable bequests turned into a history lesson for me. After so many years of friendship, Curt finally told me the story of how he escaped Germany as a young man and about the family he lost at Auschwitz.”

Curt’s bequests to Lion of Judah and Federation’s Holocaust Art and Essay Contest were especially significant. The Lion of Judah gift ensured Hedi, his beloved wife of 50 years, would be a forever Lion. His gift to the Holocaust Art and Essay Contest was born out of his own Holocaust experience – he lost his sister, brother-in-law, and niece at Auschwitz.

In the later years of his life, Curt shared his Holocaust story, saying, “For a long time, I didn’t talk about the Holocaust, but now I want to talk about it, because that generation is dying out, and people need to remember.”

In addition, Curt provided significant resources for Fogelman Jewish Family Service’s Shabbat services at retirement homes, camp scholarships at Memphis Jewish Community Center and programs at Temple Israel.

When asked about Curt and his philanthropic legacy, Sheri Gadberry, senior philanthropic advisor and executive vice president, said, “Curt will always be a shining example of intentional giving and making a positive impact for generations to come. His compassion lives on through his gifts.”

If you are interested in using your will as a tool for legacy giving, Foundation’s philanthropic advisors are here to help. Email Sheri Gadberry or Larry Schaffer, or call 901-374-0400.