HelenSue's annual gift will live on…forever!

By Tom Hanschman '88, Director of Planned Giving, [email protected]

The first time I had the pleasure of speaking with HelenSue Lewis Parrish '56, I knew we would quickly develop a meaningful relationship. She reached out to let me know that she and her husband, Bill, of more than 50 years wanted to include Cornell among many good causes in their will. She started the conversation with a story about jumping out of an airplane on her 64th birthday back in 1998. The skydiving instructor urged her to put her rings and other jewelry in her mouth to avoid losing them on the way to the ground. She was fortunate to ignore the advice, as she screamed all the way down and surely would have lost them.

HelenSue took a different leap of faith when she left the tiny town of Albany, Illinois, to attend Cornell in the 1950s. Albany is just down the Mississippi River from Clinton, Iowa, and many Cornellians over many generations would have seen signs for it as they traveled along Highway 30 over the great river. Cornell's strong Methodist affiliation was a draw for her, and she credits her life's accomplishments with the rigor of daily chapel service and the exposure she received to the outside world.

"The greatest reward I received from Cornell was that it gave me a foundation. I wasn't a leader on campus, but the experience instilled in me the values and tools to go into the world and try to make a difference." In fact, HelenSue had the confidence to run for elected office in the State of Mississippi. She didn't win, but she demonstrated leadership and expressed her opinions in other ways to influence processes that changed absentee voting laws in that state.

Meeting HelenSue and Bill at their retirement community in York, Pennsylvania, in February of 2023, was a real privilege for me not only as the director of planned giving but more so as a fellow Cornellian. She shared stories and memories that will always be most special for her. The intimacy of the Hilltop is always top of mind for HelenSue, even all of these years later: "The people I lived with in Rood House for four years, and the close relationships I had with professors." She recalled special faculty and staff like Charles Milhauser, Alan DuVal, Bill Heywood, and the Rev. Richard Thomas, just to name a few. This moment was extra-special as, like many Cornell alumni, I have my own memories of these great men and so many others. The diversity of the student body, developing lifelong friendships, and "learning the give-and-take of living with a variety of people" stood out the most with HelenSue.

She also thinks fondly of the townspeople in Mount Vernon, especially the shopkeepers, who always seemed to have care and concern for the students living away from home for the first time. "And, I loved to be able to walk everywhere in that special town." She loved the local community so much that she taught Home Economics at Mount Vernon High School from 1959 to 1962.

When sharing such meaningful experiences with me, we spoke at length about why she wanted to leave Cornell College in their will.

"It is so important in our lives to be grateful every day for what we have, Tom," she explained. "Cornell instills the values that help us later in life. We all have a choice; we could choose to view the glass as half-full or half-empty. It's up to all of us."

HelenSue has been a dedicated, consistent $250 annual Cornell Fund donor to Cornell for many years. She and Bill are leaving $5,000 to the college and designating this generous gift to our general endowment because she knows and appreciates the importance of flexible support. She trusts the leadership at Cornell to use the funds responsibly and for the college's greatest needs at any given time in perpetuity. Based on the 5% average spending rate of our endowment each year, this legacy gift in their will as a simple bequest statement will allow her annual support to live on forever. It is truly remarkable.

Many people believe they can only make a difference and a lasting impact on an organization and its mission by donating hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars, either currently or through a legacy gift in their wills, trusts, or other beneficiary designation. This is simply not the case. What HelenSue and Bill are doing for Cornell is truly magical in that they are ensuring that their long-time, annual support lives on forever.

If this simple act of generosity is something that you're interested in doing, please let me know. Speaking with you about doing this similarly to HelenSue would be a real honor and privilege for me. Every single dollar makes a huge difference at a small, special place like Cornell College. HelenSue and Bill are a true testament to this fact. All of us at Cornell College are extremely grateful to them, as well as to all of our Heritage Society members, for their kindness, compassion, and generosity. Their deep concern for future generations of Cornellians is truly inspiring and critical to our sustainability, success, and strength.