COMMUNITY
tvc.dsj.org | February 6, 2018
7
Making Last Impressions
Carolina Scipioni
Endowment and Planned Giving Program
Manager, Catholic Community Foundation of
Santa Clara County
In my role at the Catholic Community Foundation
of Santa Clara County, I have the privilege of en-
gaging in meaningful conversations with Catholics
across the valley who are committed to supporting
our Church. When I explain to them how they can
include a planned gift for the Church as part of their
estate plan and legacy, many are surprised because
they think those gifts are reserved for the wealthy.
And then I think of my grandmother.
My grandmother became a widow very young
and my family always made sure to include her in
our outings. However, the time it took for her to get
ready would drive us crazy. She needed to say her
prayers, iron her dress, pick the right jewelry and
put on makeup before she went anywhere. She also
had to make sure that there wasn’t a single dish
left in the sink. As impatient teenagers, my siblings
and I always tried to persuade her to just come and
leave the rest for later. She would simply smile and
say, “We never know when the Lord will call us to
heaven; if I don’t do it, you might end up doing my
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dishes.” We couldn’t argue. Who wants to do dishes?
Eventually, I understood what she was teaching
us. While many people believe that the fi rst impres-
sion is important, my grandmother also believed in
making a good last impression.
A few weeks after my grandmother died, my mom
met with my uncles and aunt to go over things. I
remember being nervous since my father, a family
law attorney, shared with us many stories where
families were broken because of the poor planning
of people who had passed away. Luckily, that was not
the case because my grandmother, as it turned out,
had a great plan and she carefully communicated her
wishes to each of her fi ve children. Everyone knew
what they were supposed to keep, and the distribu-
tion of her few assets was fair.
But there was something else that my grand-
mother asked for… “When I go to heaven, whatever
you don’t need for yourselves, you can give to Mother
Superior.” Mother Superior was the Principal at Our
Lady of Mercy School, a school at which she taught
for many years. This was a special place for her and
she trusted that the Sisters always knew the needs
of the community. There were indeed many things
that my mom and siblings didn’t need, and even
though they were of little value, I know they made
a diff erence to someone. While not being what we
8/10/15
would consider wealthy, my grandmother managed
to leave a legacy for both her family and her favorite
Catholic ministry.
For most of us, transferring our assets will not
be as simple as it was for my grandmother. Our
wealth is more complicated today with appreciated
stock, life insurance, retirement plans, etc. and we
must have a will or trust to document our wishes
and make it easier on our families. But some of the
same questions that my grandmother asked herself
will remain the same: How will I be remembered?
What will my legacy be?
I have the best last impression of my grand-
mother! She died as she had lived -- with generosity,
meaning and peace. And yes…the day she went to
heaven, there were no dirty dishes in her sink. That
is what leaving a legacy is all about.
*If you would like to leave a legacy of support for
a Catholic organization that is important in your life,
we would be glad to assist you. Please contact us at
(408) 995-5219.
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