A Legacy of 36 Years and Counting

William Springer is more than the longest-serving member of Hospice of the Western Reserve’s board of directors. He is a part of the agency’s fabric and history. A longtime resident of Madison, Ohio, his interest was originally piqued on the golf course. “The director’s husband mentioned they were looking for a board member with business background and expertise,”
he says. As a career business operations and supply chain management executive for Perfection Corporation (now owned by Honeywell), he knew he could help.

His leadership played a significant role in establishing the firm business foundation and practices that would help guide the organization’s growth and evolution. William joined the board in 1982, just four years after it was founded as Cancer Family Service, Inc. Over those 36 years, he has seen it evolve from a tiny grassroots operation with a daily census of 20 to Northeast Ohio’s premier nonprofit provider with a daily census of 1,100.

Later, William would experience firsthand the compassionate care provided by Hospice of the Western Reserve in his own family: first, for his mother, and later, for his wife, Esther Jean. “Hospice of the Western Reserve cared for my mother at David Simpson Hospice House and for my wife at Geneva Village. They both loved their care providers and looked forward to visits from the nurses and aides, as well as from volunteers providing music and spiritual support. After my mother’s death, I set up meetings with my attorney to ensure Hospice of the Western Reserve would be included in my estate plan,” he says.

William’s long legacy of service has played an instrumental role not only in Hospice of the Western Reserve’s history, but also in the ability to provide the highest quality end-of-life care in our community. Now, thanks to the generosity of his planned gift, his legacy will continue to live on to benefit future generations.

In tribute to William’s long-time service and philanthropy, Hospice of the Western Reserve is pleased to announce that he will serve as Honorary Chair of our 2019 Walk to Remember, to be held on Sunday, June 9, 2019 at the Cleveland MetroParks Zoo. Learn more about this annual celebration of life at hospicewr.org/wtr.

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Northern Ohio's Hospice of Choice

More than 1,000 Hospice of the Western Reserve employees and 3,000 volunteers live and work side-by-side in the same neighborhoods with our patients and families. We are privileged to have cared for more than 100,000 Northern Ohioans since our inception.