This unassuming couple will be long remembered by community groups who will benefit from their generosity. A garden will be named for them at local hospital.
Rideout Health Foundation and four other local not-for-profits will receive generous donations from the estate of Doug and Jean Goss. The $2.2 million donation to the hospital foundation was completely unexpected, although Jean Goss had been a patient at the facility in the last few years of her life.
The (Marysville, CA) Appeal-Democrat reported in “Couple leaves $2.2M donation to Rideout” that the couple, who did not have children, donated their estate to area charities. $2.14 million will go to the hospital foundation's general fund—with more than $100,000 to benefit the foundation's scholarship fund.
Rideout CEO Gino Patrizio said, "The majority of the gift will go into the foundation's general fund, which we are using to create a lasting endowment to support the organization in perpetuity."
Jean was known to all as an avid gardener who tended to 75 rose bushes and 12 citrus trees. In light of this, the foundation plans to name the Healing Garden in the new hospital tower at Rideout Regional Medical Center after the Goss family. They will also plant rose bushes in their honor.
Doug grew up in Marysville and spent 40 years working as an electrical engineer for Pacific Gas & Electric. Jean was born in Dana, Indiana and moved to Yuba City in 1950 after marrying Doug. She was employed part-time in the County Assessor's Office.
The couple started working on their estate plan in the early 1990s. Long-time friends of the Goss family, Gene and Joan Erfle, didn’t know how much money they had until Gene was named as a trustee of the estate. As trustee, Gene followed the Gosses' wishes to give donations to Rideout Health Foundation, the Museum of the Forgotten Warriors, Sutter Buttes Canine Rescue, Mary Aaron Museum and the Community Memorial Museum of Sutter County.
In her later years, Jean had a heart condition that required frequent care at Rideout. She developed good relationships with the staff.
The Gosses created a legacy that will have a positive impact for many years to come on a community that was clearly very important to them. It should be noted that this kind of planning is not limited to “modest millionaires.” An estate planning attorney can help create a legacy for your family and your community—at any level of giving.
Reference: The (Marysville, CA) Appeal-Democrat (August 6, 2016) “Couple leaves $2.2M donation to Rideout”
To learn more about creating a legacy for your family and your community, please visit our website.
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