The estate of Doug and Jean Goss donated an unexpected $2.2 million donation to Rideout Health Foundation and undisclosed sums to four other Yuba-Sutter area California nonprofit organizations.
The (Marysville, CA) Appeal-Democrat reported in “Couple leaves $2.2M donation to Rideout” that the couple, who did not have children, donated their estate to area charities. $2.14 million will go to the hospital foundation's general fund—with more than $100,000 to benefit the foundation's scholarship fund.
Rideout CEO Gino Patrizio said, "The majority of the gift will go into the foundation's general fund, which we are using to create a lasting endowment to support the organization in perpetuity."
Jean was known to all as an avid gardener who tended to 75 rose bushes and 12 citrus trees. In light of this, the foundation plans to name the Healing Garden in the new hospital tower at Rideout Regional Medical Center after the Goss family. They will also plant rose bushes in their honor.
Doug grew up in Marysville and spent 40 years working as an electrical engineer for Pacific Gas & Electric. Jean was born in Dana, Indiana and moved to Yuba City in 1950 after marrying Doug. She was employed part-time in the County Assessor's Office.
The couple started working on their estate plan in the early 1990s. Long-time friends of the Goss family, Gene and Joan Erfle, didn’t know how much money they had until Gene was named as a trustee of the estate. As trustee, Gene followed the Gosses' wishes to give donations to Rideout Health Foundation, the Museum of the Forgotten Warriors, Sutter Buttes Canine Rescue, Mary Aaron Museum and the Community Memorial Museum of Sutter County.
In her later years, Jean had a heart condition that required frequent care at Rideout. She developed good relationships with the staff.
Donations like this help the foundation provide state-of-the-art equipment and other improvements to care at the hospital, the foundation’s chairman commented. She also expressed her gratitude for their thoughtfulness in their estate planning to name the foundation as a beneficiary.
Reference: The (Marysville, CA) Appeal-Democrat (August 6, 2016) “Couple leaves $2.2M donation to Rideout”