The Ultimate Gift...Ella Chance Remembers the Foundation in Her Will

To recognize the excellent care that her family received at St. Tammany Parish Hospital, Ella Chance named Hospice, Cardiac Rehabilitation and Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at St. Tammany Parish Hospital recipients of a bequest in her will.

"I want my charitable bequests to be used to help a multitude of people, not just a few," she says. "My sister, Hazel Smith, and my husband, Perry Chance, as well as my mother, Bessie Smith, received such compassionate care at St. Tammany."

Born and raised in Lewisburg, La., Mrs. Chance is a graduate of Mandeville High School and Nicholls State University in Thibodaux. A lifelong educator in St. Tammany Parish, she taught third grade for 30 years in Mandeville and Madisonville.

"With a will, you can support charitable causes that have special meaning to you in your lifetime," says Charley Strickland, Foundation Executive Director. "Mrs. Chance's bequest through St. Tammany Hospital Foundation represents an unparalleled opportunity for the Foundation to foster the growth and excellence of our hospital. She is making a direct impact on the future of healthcare in our community."

A bequest is an easy way for an individual to transfer ownership of specific assets, and a will is the document through which to accomplish the transfer. Mrs. Chance credits her investment advisor Paul R. Morris and attorney Julia M. Pearce with guiding her, drawing up the will and incorporating the appropriate language to accomplish her wishes.

Bequests are a type of planned gift. They are gifts made now that will be realized in the future by the charitable beneficiary. All planned gift donors to the Foundation are recognized as members of the Legacy of Caring Society.