Donor Stories

• John & HeeAnn Fitzgerald: A Legacy of the Heart

  

  John and HeeAnn Fitzgerald knew they wanted to support a cause close to their hearts.

  After being patients at Holy Cross Hospital, they knew where they wanted to leave their legacy.

  "Talk about incredible service," says John. "It's what they did for us. We want to do something in return for them. The care you get there, I've never seen anything like it."

  The Fitzgeralds have added Holy Cross Hospital as a beneficiary of their charitable remainder uni-trust.

  Their gift will not only help save lives but also further the research of heart disease affecting countless people in our community and beyond. It also gives a nod to the generosity of the Fitzgeralds.

  They met in 1988 while John was working in Hong Kong and HeeAnn was visiting her daughter there. For the Fitzgeralds, it was fate.

  "I was an Irish man working in Hong Kong," says John. "She was a Korean woman living in Michigan."

  They married in 1989 and lived in Hong Kong and Singapore while John was opening up UPS stations in Asia.

  John's 35-year career with UPS ended in July of 1994 when he retired. The Fitzgeralds then moved into a home they built in South Carolina.

  Their boat, "Irish Mist" was in South Florida and every time they visited they fell more in love with the area.

  "We liked Florida so much we relocated," says John. "Primarily because the boating is so much more fun down here."

  The Fitzgeralds live happily with their Shih Tzu Molly.

• Josephine Pater: Love & Legacy

  

  Josephine E. Pater says the highlight of her life was being married to Oscar.

  The two were born and raised in New York, just 10 blocks apart from each other. They didn't meet, however, until their teenage years. Josephine held bridge nights at her mother's home and one night a friend invited Oscar over to play.

  "After that, Oscar won all the time," says Josephine. "He was excellent."

  They were married in 1939. Oscar worked as an engineer and Josephine was a stenographer for Metropolitan Life Insurance. Through Josephine's involvement with the Order of the Eastern Star as a Grand Chaplain, Oscar grew interested himself and became a Grand Lecturer and Grand Marshall.

  On their 50th wedding anniversary, the Paters bought a home in Pompano Beach, Florida. After a few years of going back and forth between New York and South Florida, they made the permanent move to Pompano Beach.

  At 62 years of marriage, in 2001, Oscar became ill and sought treatment at Holy Cross Hospital.

  "Oscar was at Holy Cross for a long time and he was taken such good care of," remembers Josephine. "He really lasted as long as he did because of that wonderful care. Everyone [at Holy Cross] was so good to him and so helpful."

  It was at that time that Oscar and Josephine decided to support Holy Cross Hospital through a charitable bequest in Josephine's will.

  Though Oscar passed away that same year, he will never be far from Josephine's thoughts. She sits across from his picture every day and exhibits a wonderful sense of humor at 97 years old. The love and commitment they shared will continue through the legacy of their gift to Holy Cross Hospital, helping save others' lives.

  We are grateful to the generosity of the Paters, as every charitable bequest helps us continue the mission of the Sisters of Mercy. If you would like to consider a bequest to Holy Cross in your estate plan, please contact Marcie Hall at 954-229-8560 or through email at [email protected]

• Nancy Brown

  

  Nancy Brown had been a long-time supporter of Holy Cross Hospital when in 2015 she decided to leave an important legacy for her and her family through her estate planning.

  "Holy Cross has a special place in my heart as that is where my mother spent her last days until she passed away in 2007," says Brown of the Fritch Foundation. "I was very pleased with the care she received and wanted to give something back in her memory. I wanted to honor my parents."

  Brown moved to Broward over 40 years ago when Holy Cross was the only hospital in her community. After working in the legal field, she retired to care for her parents and founded the Fritch Foundation with her mother in 2005. Once her parents passed she continued in her mother's philanthropic shoes heading up the Foundation. Having an interest in supporting local women and children's issues, a hospital that included healthcare facility designed specifically for women (the Dorothy Mangurian Comprehensive Women's Center) appealed to her.

  Extending her support through a charitable bequest will make her family's impact on this community even more significant than it already is.

  "I'm very blessed and fortunate to be in a position to give back to the community where I live," says Brown.