Denny and his wife, Pat, were inspired to give back to the OPB because of the tremendous impact our organization has had on their lives with a gift through a charitable trust.
When it came time for Ginger and Gene Dietzman to choose beneficiaries for their trust, OPB was a natural choice. Gene, a lifelong Oregonian, has been a longtime consumer of OPB programming.
The soundtrack to life for Craig and Karen Greenleaf is provided by OPB. As a result, the couple included OPB in a trust as a way to contribute to meaningful programming in the future.
Longtime OPB supporters Liiza and Greg Boyd prize truth and balance in journalism and want to preserve it for future generations. As such, they made the decision to include OPB in their will.
To help ensure OPB's future, Debbie's included it in her estate plan. Via a gift from her IRA, Debbie established The Debbie Chung Fund, to support the creation of original content for nature and environmental programs with a focus on Oregon, across all media platforms.
Over the past five years, Jerry and Ginny have doubled their annual donation to support Campaign 2022: The Impact Journalism Fund, which is helping to grow OPB's in-depth, regionally focused journalism. Jerry also decided to name OPB as a beneficiary of his revocable trust.
Shirley Howard was a well-respected journalist, philanthropist and advocate for women's rights. Her career as a reporter with OPB spanned more than 40 years and she led the effort to bring women's voices into the conversation during the pivotal years of the 1960s and '70s. Shirley's impact on OPB's public service mission continues today through a gift in her estate to OPB's Impact Journalism Fund. Her gift helps ensure that everyone has access to a broad range of news, documentaries, science, dramas, music and more on OPB TV and radio long into the future.
John and Patricia Beckman were not only longtime OPB members, but dear friends of OPB staff and supporters too. They invested their time, energy, and financial support for more than 30 years. Their extraordinary gift through their estate established "The John and Patricia Beckman Fund" to support the dissemination and creation of content created by OPB and to support programs in the arts and sciences.
Barbara's passion was helping others. From her days as a nurse at OHSU to her countless volunteer hours over the years, she worked tirelessly to make life better for others in her own community and around the world.
Betty wanted to live to be 100 and she did! She turned 100 on August 18, 2015. For her 100th birthday a few of her relatives traveled from North Dakota to throw her a party. It was a very special day for Betty, especially as she had not seen some of these relative in over 30 years. After living a full and rich life Betty passed away unexpectedly and peacefully a few months later on Christmas Day.
Gale Drysdale used to say that he spent the first 40 years of his life learning as much as he could and the next 40 years helping as many people as he could. Gale passed away recently at age 92 and he is still helping people, especially the OPB community, through a generous bequest that he and his wife, Pearl, established to benefit their church and OPB.
Lou and Del Greenfield's days were filled with action. Together they worked hard to support what they believed in, including political causes, the peace movement — and Oregon Public Broadcasting. The Greenfields loved OPB and its commitment to independent news so much so they left a significant gift to the station in their estate.
Allan and Ruth Hart were strong advocates of the Portland community and its citizens. Allan worked tirelessly over the years as a private practice attorney playing a prominent role in the formation of the ACLU of Oregon and the Bonneville Power Administration. Throughout her life, Ruth brought her experiences as a young adult painter, teacher and activist to the larger community: to tirelessly encourage access to the arts for students, volunteers, and friends.
Dr. Ernest Lane lived of life of service and integrity. Growing up in Chicago, he enlisted in the Army at age 17 and served as a staff sergeant in Japan during World War II.
Brenda McGowan lived life to the fullest creating a better world for all. Her days were filled with adventure and an enthusiasm that radiated to those fortunate enough to cross her path.
Pat Noyes was a student of the world. She studied photography, metals, physics, zoology, trains, and more. Her passion for learning took her from the Northwest to the Pacific Islands, Europe, and around the globe. While not in the classroom or researching in the field, Pat took time to care for the community around her. She was active in local wilderness and conservation issues and was a tremendous supporter of OPB.
