After the Nazi Party took power in Germany, Shirley Heiman’s parents, Walter and Trude Heiman, fled to the United States in 1938. Walter and Trude eventually settled in St. Louis in the 1940s, where they made a new life for themselves. Walter started out by selling light bulbs door-to-door. Over the years, he built a successful lighting fixture company, and the grateful couple became philanthropists.
“They were always happy to help other people and to give to organizations they thought they could assist, including cultural and religious groups,” says Shirley, who was inspired by her parents' goodwill.
“They instilled in me the value of giving back and helping other people,” she says. “And there’s a lot of satisfaction and fulfillment in doing that.”
One of the ways that Shirley gives back is through a gift in her estate plan to benefit The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. She did this by designating The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital as a beneficiary of her retirement account.
“I’ve known many people who have been affected by cancer, and I’ve lost some very dear friends,” she says. “I thought about what I could do to help other people not suffer losses. What could I do to help research find cures and eradicate cancer if that’s possible?”
A retired travel industry executive, Shirley says she feels blessed that she has something to share and that Siteman is a good place to share it.
“Research is extremely expensive and there’s probably never enough money to fill that void,” she says. “They can’t do that research without help from people, so it’s important to give. I’d like to think I’m helping, even if in a small way.”
Every gift to the Foundation makes the world a better place. Contact Joan Cheaney, CFRE, at 314-286-0704 or PlannedGiving@BJC.org to find the right gift type to meet your charitable goals.