Like Mother, Like Daughter, Giving Comes From the Heart

When people say that great minds think alike, it could certainly apply to Marie Garibaldi and her mother — who just turned 100 earlier this year — and the great relationship they share. Marie said, “We enjoy each other’s company and agree on many of the same things.” This includes their decision to donate to Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) through the Planned Giving Program.

Marie enjoyed what she describes as a very fulfilling legal career that culminated in her retirement from the New Jersey Supreme Court in 2000 after serving for 18 years. She holds the distinction of being the first woman in New Jersey to be appointed to serve as a Supreme Court Justice. In addition to several other appointments and leadership roles in the community, Marie serves as assistant treasurer of the Board of Governors at HUMC and is a member of the HUMC Foundation Board of Trustees. Her involvement on these boards and associated subcommittees gives her the opportunity to see the positive impact of the hospital. “When you go into the emergency room or the outpatient area, you see firsthand the high level of quality care that is provided to patients and how much the community is benefitting from the hospital’s services.”

Marie attributes her generous nature to the examples set for her as a child by her mother — also named Marie — and her father, the late Dr. Louis Garibaldi. “For me and my mother, it’s in our nature to give back, and we feel good about it, but I don’t stop and reflect on it — I just move on to the next project.”

Marie and her mother have collectively provided the Foundation with a total of four single gift annuities that offer them a guaranteed income in retirement — with the Foundation receiving the remaining proceeds from their respective estates. The planned gifts represent their opportunity to continue their support of HUMC for decades to come. Marie adds, “Our gifts can be used for several special projects in the future — and have the potential to impact a lot of lives in the community.”

Marie and her mother are both members of the medical center’s Legacy Society and Legacy Society Chairman’s Circle. When asked about the reasons behind their longtime support of HUMC, the former justice provides a succinct yet confident summation: “That’s easy — it’s the best hospital in New Jersey!”

HUMC is currently raising money for the construction of the new John Theurer Cancer Center through our Beyond Extraordinary Campaign. The construction began in April 2008 and the completion of the 155,000-square-foot cancer facility and an adjacent 960-car parking garage is expected in the fall of 2010. While we stress cash gifts for our fundraising campaigns, donors can also make donations in support of the Cancer Center through our Planned Giving Program.