Planned Giving

Meet Our Donors

Click here to see the 1748 Society Members.

Q&A with Matt and Terry Hendricks

For the Hendricks clan - Mike and Marilyn, and their son Matt ’79 and his wife Terry - giving back to Friends has truly been a family affair. All members of the 1748 Society, Matt explains why his family is committed to making a difference at WFS.

1. Could you tell me a little about your professional life and that of your parents:

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Celebrating our 100th member of our 1748 Society

We are thrilled to celebrate Ann '57 and Bob Heaton as our 100th member of our planned giving society. This past spring, the Heatons contacted the alumni/development office about making a planned gift to Friends in honor of Ann's upcoming 50th reunion. Ann and Bob discussed several planned giving vehicles and decided on the pooled income fund.

With the joint goal of continuing to protect their current income flow and yet wanting to give more to Wilmington Friends now, the pooled income fund was a perfect match. The Heatons will receive the quarterly lifetime income generated from the fund at a competitive interest rate and receive an immediate charitable tax deduction for the gift. Friends School will be the beneficiary of the original gift amount.

When asked why Ann decided to give this wonderful gift to Friends, Ann said, "Friends provides invaluable individual attention for all students from an amazing faculty guided by the Quaker philosophy. The excellent education grounded in moral and religious values is a true gift, and we wanted to give back to a school who has given so much to me." Ann also went on to say that because of the school, she has developed invaluable friendships with her classmates that she and Bob truly treasure.


Elizabeth Valentine Daudt ’41 and Louis Daudt

“Our charitable gift annuity was so easy to set up, and we love the benefits. We get a great tax deduction as well as income for life, and we are so excited to be able to support Wilmington Friends School in a way we would not have thought possible. We already had Friends in our will, but this allowed us to make a substantial gift to Friends now. We are very happy that we could help Friends now instead of after we’re gone.”


Thom Marston ‘75

“Both of my parents attended the school, so we have a long family history with Wilmington Friends. I have stayed involved because I still believe in the school and that it continues to give its students the same education and outlook on life that have been so valuable to me. WFS gave me the tools to succeed professionally and the desire to do good things. My work with the school and Habitat for the Humanities are my two priorities, so it is to these two organizations that I have chosen to leave my resources when I no longer need them.”

Thom has served as a class agent, president of the Alumni Board, member of the Golf with Friends committee, and has been honored as the Alumnus of the Year.

Thom has named the school in his will.


Jeannette and Walter Smith ‘62

“The school, administration, and teachers prepared me for my journey through life – spiritually through Meeting for Worship and Quaker philosophies, socially by being in a school with other students who wanted to excel, and educationally because of the great teachers who motivated students beyond their normal level of achievement. As an adult, I have really come to appreciate that my Friends education was made possible thanks to the financial aid my parents received from the school. I know this support was available due to the generosity of previous generations, and Jeannette and I are grateful to be in the position to help ensure such support for future students.”

Walter and his wife Jeannette share a passion for antiques and have lovingly restored a late 1700’s farmhouse in Gettysburg, PA. Now that Walter has retired after a successful career in sales and management, he and Jeannette enjoy frequent travel and adding to their collection of antiques.

Walter and Jeannette are leaving a portion of their estate to Wilmington Friends to support financial aid for students.