Gift 
Donor Stories
Learn how others have made an impact through their acts of giving to our organization and others.
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Frances Kish Gives Her Time, Treasure, and Talent to the ZooIt is rare to find a donor as committed as Frances Kish. A longtime volunteer, Frances is also a Heritage Society member who has remembered the Zoo in her estate plans. She exemplifies the spirit of philanthropy by giving both her time and her treasure.
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Dr. David and Mrs. Marge PerkinsMarge Perkins started volunteering at the Zoo in 1979, and Dave followed suit in 1994. That same year they joined the Marlin Perkins Society, then became members of the Heritage Society in 1999.
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A Lifelong and Lasting LegacyJefferson and Dorothy Danforth Miller were longtime friends of the the Saint Louis Zoo. We miss their smiles but know that lots of smiles happen here every day because of their generosity over the years and the legacy they have left.
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Earl Spohr, Forever TallEarl Spohr stands tall at six feet, four inches. He stands tall in character, values, and generosity as well. It's his approach to life -- serving his country, his community, and organizations that change lives for the better. The Saint Louis Zoo is fortunate to be among his beneficiaries.
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For Dale Knight, the Zoo Is FamilyDale Knight is more than a friend of the Saint Louis Zoo - he is Zoo family. Dale has done just about everything there is to do at the Zoo. Like many planned giving donors in the Zoo's Heritage Society, Dale started coming to the Zoo as a child.
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Alma Reitz Gives to the Places She Loves"The Saint Louis Zoo has brought much joy to me over the years, and I hope it brings that joy to others for years to come," states Miss Alma Reitz about making her legacy plan for her beloved Zoo. Through her estate plan, she is establishing the Reitz Endowment Fund at the Zoo in memory of her family.
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Nancy NorvellAfter a lifetime of giving to others, it was no surprise that Nancy Norvell made her ultimate gift through her estate plans, leaving more than a million dollars to the charitable organizations she loved most.
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Sue DexterFor more than 30 years, Sue Dexter was a dedicated Saint Louis Zoo volunteer and supporter. She and her husband Phil both started out in the Children’s Zoo.
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Doris SudhoffDoris Sudhoff had a penchant for elephants. She was scheduled for knee surgery, but before she went in she visited the Saint Louis Zoo to see her favorite elephant Raja one more time.
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Marian KlineMarian Kline was a Saint Louis Zoo volunteer docent for over 30 years. She adopted the Zoo into her family, which her husband and children fully supported for the joy it gave her.
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Walt SuhreWalt Suhre's life philosophy has served him well for eight decades. It is that life has three dimensions: learnin', earnin' and returnin'. He says all three occur throughout the life journey - not necessarily in successive phases, and often overlapping one another. The Saint Louis Zoo celebrates having Walt in its family and being an integral part of his journey.
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Phyllis TirmensteinThe Saint Louis Zoo is proud to recognize Miss Phyllis Tirmenstein as a 2016 Legacy Award donor, a distinction granted by the Saint Louis Planned Giving Council every year to an individual who exemplifies the spirit of philanthropy. Miss Tirmenstein was nominated for the award by the Saint Louis Zoo and Saint Louis University, two of the many organizations she has supported over the years. With gratitude, we share the awards ceremony video done to honor Miss Tirmenstein.
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Bill SiedhoffThe Saint Louis Zoo got a call one day from Bill Siedhoff as he was preparing for retirement. After 40-plus years in social services, where he helped make a positive difference in families’ lives, he continued to consider ways to help people.
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Elizabeth GreenThe Saint Louis Planned Giving Council presented the Saint Louis Legacy Awards to recognize the power of planned giving in transforming our community and the world. Congratulations to 2017 Saint Louis Legacy Awards Honoree Elizabeth Green.
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Carol LoebCombining her love of bears and education with the joy she gets from seeing families connecting with bears "nose to nose" through glass exhibit walls, Carol is thrilled to remember the Zoo with an estate gift from her IRA.
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David L. Curtis and Judith P. LeonardTogether, David Curtis and Judy Leonard have visited zoos worldwide. The couple is keeping conservation in mind at home by creating a fund at the Saint Louis Zoo.
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Clarence ZacherClarence Zacher had a lifelong love of animals and the Saint Louis Zoo. His legacy will live on at the Zoo through the animals helped in his name.
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Nancy WagonerNancy Wagoner looks forward to Tuesdays because that's her day to volunteer as a docent at the Zoo. She says, "When I taught school, I looked forward to the weekends (even though I loved my job); now I look forward to Tuesdays when I get to go to the Zoo!"
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Hannah and Larry LangsamHannah and Larry Langsam are longtime friends of the Saint Louis Zoo. "In 1971 we moved to St. Louis from Boston with our three young daughters. The Saint Louis Zoo soon became a major attraction for our family," recalls Hannah.
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Richard and Nancy MarstonRichard and Nancy Marston are wonderful friends of the Saint Louis Zoo who enjoy belonging to the Marlin Perkins Society and the Heritage Society and serving on the Zoo's Planned Giving Advisory Committee.
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Family, Community and the Saint Louis ZooIt may appear that LaDonna and Paul Hopkins travel all the way from Albuquerque to visit the Saint Louis Zoo. However, they really come to St. Louis throughout the year to spend time with their daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter, and the Zoo is a favorite place to spend time together.
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Financial Security and a Sense of ContinuityIrene Gulovsen's mother inspired her to carry on her values of caring about animals and the environment. Those values and the inheritance she left Irene were powerful gifts that Irene and her husband, Bob, are using for impact now and into the future.
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Tamara Schmitz Explored the World at the ZooMy fondest memories of childhood center on one location. Where else but the Saint Louis Zoo could I ride a steam train, watch the Sea Lion Show, learn something new about an animal and enjoy the day without spending the whole $6 I earned that week mowing the neighbor's lawn?
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Mike and Laura HerringSt. Louis native Laura Herring fondly recalls visiting the Zoo as a child. Decades later, she and her husband, Mike, are using their estate plan to ensure the families of their grandchildren can enjoy it down the road.
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Maria and Gene BradfordWith help from the Zoo's complimentary Thompson & Associates program, Maria and Gene Bradford created an estate plan with which they're proud to support our future.
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David R. GanzDavid R. Ganz is passionate about enriching his hometown of St. Louis by supporting cherished organizations through his estate plan, with the Saint Louis Zoo at the top of his list.
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Larry AbsheerWhile he knew a lot about money, Larry Absheer didn’t fully understand the power of planned giving and how much he really had to share until he got involved at the Zoo.
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Karen Schaffer MeldrumKaren Schaffer Meldrum had her reasons for wanting to be a year older. She knew when she reached a particular age, she could use her IRA to make a tax-wise gift to ensure a legacy for wildlife conservation.
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Jean McCoolAs a lifelong friend of the Zoo, Jean McCool's heartfelt legacy gift will carry on what she thought was important in life-caring for animals.
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A Scientist, Storyteller, and Champion for Conservation: Meet Libby YungerWhen you meet Libby, you quickly sense her passion-for science, for animals, and for conservation.
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