What we are remembered for
Earlier this month I attended the funeral of former Aoraki Foundation Trustee, Robyn Hewson. Robyn had completed her time on the Foundation’s Board before I started working here. I had met her through various community events and admired her, but I wouldn’t say I knew her well.
As I sat in the service, listening to stories shared by her family and friends, one thing became increasingly clear: Robyn had made a difference in a great many lives.
She was described as a fixer, a giver, someone who wanted to leave people in a better place than she found them. There were stories of kindness, stories of service, stories that drew laughter, and stories that revealed the quiet ways she helped others.
What struck me most was not what was said, but what wasn’t.
Nobody talked about her bank balance, the size of her house, or the assets she had accumulated over her lifetime. Instead, they spoke about her faith, her love for her family, her commitment to the community and the difference she made in people’s lives.
It was a timely reminder that a person’s legacy is rarely measured by what they own. More often, it is measured by what they give.
And that legacy is seldom built through one grand gesture. It is the accumulation of thousands of interactions, decisions and acts of kindness over a lifetime.
Much of Robyn’s legacy now rests with those who knew and loved her. Family and friends will continue to share stories, reminisce over photographs and laugh about memories that somehow become a little bigger and a little funnier with every retelling.
In my role at the Aoraki Foundation, I have the privilege of meeting people who want part of their legacy to continue in another way.
More and more individuals, couples and families are choosing to leave a gift in their will to support the community they love. In doing so, they are entrusting us with something far more important than money. They are entrusting us with their values and their aspiration for future generations. It is both an honour and a significant responsibility.
As I sat in Robyn’s service, it reinforced how important it is that we capture the stories behind every legacy gift. Not simply a donor’s name, occupation or address, but the things that mattered to them. What they cared about. How they lived their life. What they hoped South Canterbury would become long after they were gone.
Because that is ultimately what is remembered.
September is Wills Month, a time when we encourage people to consider the importance of having an up-to-date will. It is also an opportunity to recognise the generosity of South Cantabrians who have chosen to include a gift to their community as part of their final plans.
Behind every gift in a will is a story and a vision for the future. Over the coming weeks, in print and online, we’ll be sharing some of those stories and celebrating the people behind them.
As I left Robyn’s funeral and walked back to my car, I was reminded that we cannot choose who will remember us. But we can choose what we’re remembered for.
An opinion piece written for the Timaru Courier by Richard Spackman, chief executive of the Aoraki Foundation.