Fizzy Business - Regis College

left: madeline lynch ’55 created an annuity
in honor of her cousins sister viterbo and
sister margaret William.
Right: madeline’s extended family during
a vacation by the ocean.
Q: tell me about your cousins and how
your connection to them motivated your gift
to Regis.
Ml: Our family was very proud to have two
nuns. They were both like sisters to me, especially
sister margaret William, who was very
close in age to me, and lived only three doors
down. We vacationed in Green Harbor, mA with
them our whole lives. It was always a treat to
spend a week’s vacation there.
We grew up visiting sister Viterbo on Regis’s
campus; I can still remember her as may Queen
in a long lace gown. Betty and I were her flower
girls. They both loved Regis, they really did.
Regis became a part of our family too—my
cousins went there, as did my sister Betty and I.
I don’t think I applied to any other school.
Regis was it for me.
Q: Why was an annuity a good choice for you?
Hl: It’s a great way to make sure you still have
income coming in in case you have any unforeseen
medical bills. so we continue to get a
percentage of it each year, and when we die the
remainder reverts to the college. It’s a win-win;
it’s a healthy income and the principal reverts to
the college in the end.
In honor of her reunion and her family,
an alumna gives back to Regis
madeline lynch ’55 was not unlike many other alumni celebrating their reunions
in may 2010 when she made a gift to Regis. What was different, however, is that
the gift was not only to commemorate 55 years of being a Regis alumna, but also
in memory of her two cousins who were former Regis faculty members: sister
Viterbo, a psychology professor, and sister margaret William, a music professor.
she also chose to do an annuity, which provides a steady stream of income to the
donor, but the balance is donated to Regis after the donor passes away.
madeline’s memorial harkens back to a day when multiple members of one
family came to Regis over the course of many decades—and were proud as
anything to do so. Her gift not only shows her love for Regis, but how the college
became a big part of her family history.
Creating a Legacy
Here’s a Q&A with madeline and husband Hugh on their reasons for giving, the
timing of the gift, and why they love Regis so much.
Q: Why did you choose to give at your
55th reunion?
Ml: We both decided—Hugh and I—to give to
our alma maters: Hugh went to Holy cross, and,
of course, I attended Regis. This year is his 50th
—he had left school to go to the navy and later
returned—and my 55th. It was important to us
that we gave an equal amount to both.
A reunion gets you reminiscing too. I was
in the “Big 6,” one room that housed six girls.
I still see most of my roommates regularly. An
experience like that bonds you for life. When we
graduated my sister moved into the same room!
Hl: The essence of it is that it’s time to give
before we’re too old to. It’s time to take such a
measure while we can. We have three children
in their 30’s and 40’s and they’re doing well.
Ml: It’s a good time to give back to the school
in honor of two wonderful family members.
Q: Why was it so important to give an equal
amount to both schools?
Ml: It’s like our marriage, everything’s equal.