Paul Clarke Legacy Society

Make the Gift of a Lifetime.

What is the Paul Clarke Legacy Society?

The Paul Clarke Legacy Society was established to recognize the generosity and vision of donors who have made a commitment to our community through the lasting impact of a planned gift. It is comprised of individuals who have made known their intent to create permanent funds at the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne – either during their lifetimes or through estate planning.

Becoming a member of the Legacy Society is easy. By completing a statement of intent and notifying us of your gift through a bequest, a charitable trust, life insurance or other planned gift, you can become a member of the Paul Clarke Legacy Society and have the satisfaction of knowing that you are making a gift of a lifetime.

Key Benefits

By entrusting gifts to the Community Foundation, donors can ensure that their contributions will be used wisely to address future community needs, and that their personal legacies will be extended far beyond their lifetimes. Other key benefits include:

Naming your charitable fund. We encourage you to use your gift to honor the name of your family or loved ones. Or if you prefer, you may choose anonymity instead.
Attending special events such as our annual Paul Clarke Legacy Society Luncheon. We will introduce you to other generous and forward thinking people who have also included our community in their estate plans.
Receiving recognition in special Community Foundation publications. We would like to give others the opportunity to follow your example of community stewardship and leadership.

Paul Clarke Legacy Society Members:

Neil and Sarilda* Anderson
Edward and Ione Auer*
Richard and Gloria* Baker
Arthur A. Beal*
James A.* and Linda K. Beaman
Glen J. Beams*
James S. and Janet E. Beckstein
John* and Ardis Behrendt
David L. Bell and Judge Janet Seiwert Bell
Gregory J. and Mary E. Bell
Norbert Berghoff*
George and Linda Bewley
Glen and Chris Bickel
Josephine E. Biedenweg*
Janet Bircheff
David and Janice* Bleeke
Ron and Mary Bonar
Glenn E. Brendel*
Arthur and Lou Brickman
Dr. Frank D. and Cindy Byrne
Chris* and Amy Caggiano
Kathy Callen and John Powell
Carey and Kathy Carter
Howard L. and Elizabeth W. Chapman
Virginia Christoff*
Willis S. and Virginia B. Clark
Paul Clarke*
Kelly and Beth Clevenger
W. Windsor and Isabel K. Cravens*
Richard A. Curdes*
Dr. Chester H. and Mary E. Curry*
William Darling*
Haywood M. Davis*
James E. Davis
Joseph A. and Marianne Manning Deitche
Dr. Barbara R. Walters Doehrman and Dr. Steven R. Doehrman
Dick Doermer*
Loren J. Drummond*
Michael and Joyce Dulworth
Carol A. Durham
N. Eugene and Val Evans
David W.* and Donna S. Fledderjohann
Dr. Joseph and Charlotte Fogle
Dr. Charles M. A. Frankhouser Jr.*
M. Eleanor Fritze
Paul and Jeanne Gause
Jane M. Gerardot
Shirley J. Grabner*
Ellen M. Graham
Patricia S. Griest
Helen V. Groot*
L. T. Guess*
Leon O. Habegger
Steve and Tana Harter
Shannon and Michael Hardiek
Karen S. Mann-Herber Heimann
Leonard Helfrich
Jerome F. Henry Jr. and Rebecca J. Henry
Jeanine M. Herold and Michael T. Biesiada
Betty Ann Heyman*
Mrs. Irene Hiatt*
Forrest Houser*
Virginia Huguenard
Thomas and Margaret Jehl*
George L. Johnson* and Nancy F. Archer
Gordon O. and Judith M.* Johnson
Margaret N. Johnson*
Marcelle E. Koomjohn*
Sandra K. Ladd
Floyd A. and Betty Lou Lancia
G. Irving Latz II*
Lois M. Laymon
William C. Lee and Judith A.* Lee
Doug and Joni Lehman
Dr. Ed and Ginger Leonard
Stephen H.* and Jeanne G. Lewis
Dr. William J. Lewis*
Gladys D. Lomont*
Barbara K. Lotter
Cook and Jeanne Lougheed*
Dr. Jerry L. and Diane T. Mackel
Mary C. Martin*
Joyce L. Marx
Francis McCammon*
Alan and Edee McMahan
Christine R. Meek
Ronald S. and Diane M. Menze
Kerry A. Miller
Charles Mitchener*
Aloyse Moritz*
Amy B. Morrill*
Walter K. Murphy*
John M. Nichols
Arthur E. Nickerson*
John and Julia* Oldenkamp
Dr. C. James* and Susan J. Owen
Michael V. and Kathryn R.* Parrott
Frederick J. Pfeiffer*
Dick Phillips*
Joseph E. Quinlan*
David A. Ripple
Randy and Carol Roberts
Ervin and Elizabeth Rodey*
Mark E. and Christine M. Rupp
M. Joyce Schlatter*
Mark Schoeff Jr.
Clarence and Edith Schust*
Paul E.* and Dorothy L. Shaffer
Gabriel L. and Jeanne R. Shaheen
Phyllis J. Sheldon*
Tracy and Gretchen Shellabarger
Charlotte Simonis
Frank J. Smith*
Helen Smuts*
Graham and Thelma Somerville*
Allen C.* and Lois A. Steere
Thomas and Mary Jane Steinhauser
Don and Kathy Steininger
Ralph Stephan*
Laurel and Jim Stevens
Jean Tipton
Mark D. Ulmschneider and Georgia Wralstad Ulmschneider
John and Marion Walley*
Albert G. Ward*
Julie Rhinehart Waterfield
Richard D. Waterfield
Duncan Whitaker
Joe E.* and Margaret E. Williams
W. Paul Wolf
Dinah Wright
Joe Zehr
Anonymous (28 Donors)

* Deceased

Who was Paul Clarke?

Paul Clarke began his career as an attorney in private practice for 28 years in Cleveland. At the height of his success in Cleveland, a good friend offered him an opportunity to become corporate counsel and Executive Vice President of a small but promising van line company in Fort Wayne. He accepted and moved to Fort Wayne to receive a salary that was one-third of the pay he had made at his law practice in the previous year. His wife and other friends thought he was crazy but even so, Paul and Helen Clarke moved to Fort Wayne in 1954 where he was key in the growth of North American Van Lines.

Mr. Clarke was a wealthy man by the time he retired in 1970 from North American. Upon his retirement, Mr. Clarke took on the task of becoming the Executive Director for the Community Foundation. Having served on the Board of Directors of the Community Foundation for a year, he was interested in growing the Community Foundation’s assets. He thought it had the potential to do quite a bit of good in the charitable affairs of the community. During his tenure as Executive Director, he and Mrs. Clarke contributed millions of dollars through stock donations. These contributions accounted for the rapid growth of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne since 1985, after their passing.

Interested in joining the Paul Clarke Legacy Society? Please fill out the application and statement of intent linked below. More questions? Just call Alison Gerardot at 260-969-3313 (or send an email ) and we’ll be happy to help!

Statement of Intent