Generous Donor Helps Ensure Compassionate Care

Decades after her husband’s passing under hospice care in 1982, Audrey Clark remembered the nurses and aides who came to their home. “Uncle Bob struggled with lung cancer and Aunt Audrey always said how important hospice care was for them,” says niece Wendy Welch. “They didn’t have children and I think she appreciated talking with people who understood what was happening. Hospice was there when she felt so alone.”

Theirs was a railroad romance – both worked for B&O Railroad. After her husband died, Ms. Clark became fiercely independent. Well into her 80s, she cleared snow and leaves from walkways, refusing offers of help. Wendy remembers her aunt’s generosity to her family while living a frugal life.

For nearly 30 years, however, Ms. Clark would make an annual donation to Hospice of the Chesapeake, almost always in the fall. In 2019, at age 92, Ms. Clark passed away. Loyal to organizations she cared about, she bequeathed a generous bequest to Hospice of the Chesapeake. The gift came with no restrictions other than to fund hospice’s needs, Ms. Clark’s way of honoring the memory of her husband’s care.

“This extraordinary gift helps ensure we are here far into the future to support patients and families with compassionate care,” says Mike Brady, chief executive officer. “Ms. Clark’s generosity strengthens us, to prepare for whatever is ahead.”

Wendy misses her aunt and is proud of her. “I’m excited for my Aunt Audrey,” says Wendy. “She was able to make a significant impact on a cause that meant so much to her for many years.”