Making a Difference in the Lives that Follow

Bob Porter was a man who enjoyed helping others, and although he supported many causes and charities, he often didn’t want recognition for his good deeds.
“Bob was the type of person that if he saw anybody who needed anything, he would for sure give it without even thinking about it,” says Linda Fraser, a cousin to Mr. Porter’s wife Mildred. “But anything he did, he didn’t want any praise for doing it.”

Mr. Porter, the founder of R.H. Porter Funeral Homes Ltd., continued giving to others after he passed away in 2008 by leaving a gift to the Aberdeen Health Foundation in his will. The month of May is designated as Leave a Legacy month.
While the Porters never spoke about their plans to leave a gift to the Health Foundation, Ms. Fraser believes they chose to make the donation “to ensure if anybody needed help or any kind of assistance, they would receive it. They always gave to the hospital, and it would be a place it would be put to very good use and somebody would benefit from it. That’s the type of people they were – they were very good people.”
A family friend, who didn’t wish to be named, believes the Porters chose to leave a gift to the Aberdeen Health Foundation because of the great care Mildred received before her death in 1996. She was sick for most of her married life, and needed a lot of medical treatment.
Mr. Porter worked for the Ross Funeral Home for several years before opening R.H. Porter Funeral Homes Ltd. in 1968. He was an embalmer and funeral director, and sold the business in 2001. Although he was retired, he continued to visit the funeral home every day until he suffered from a fall and was hospitalized for about six months before his death.
He was born in New Glasgow, a son of John A. and Mabel (MacKay) Porter, and his wife, the former Mildred Fraser, was born in Trenton. The couple lived in New Glasgow and had no children.
Mr. Porter was a member of First Presbyterian Church in New Glasgow, while Mildred was a member of First United Church in Trenton. He erected a stained glass window in memory of his parents and his wife at First Presbyterian.
“They were very, very private people, and well liked,” says Ms. Fraser. “I think if they had it to give, they would if somebody else needed it.”
Mrs. Malcolm explains that because of this, Mr. Porter’s bequest will continue to give far into the future. “His gift will always be there. It’s through generous gifts like this that we’re able to do our work and ensure better health care for Pictou County.”
“Mr. Porter left a gift in his estate, but we never knew about it (until he passed away),” she says. “’We would have liked to thank Mr. Porter for what he was so kind to do.”
While many people believe only the wealthy are able to make such contributions, Mrs. Malcolm says that’s not the case. “Everybody can make a gift – big or small – and make a difference in the lives that follow.”
 
The people of Pictou County care a great deal about their community. It shows in the way they get behind good causes, and in the way they support local charities. May is Leave A Legacy Month. By leaving a legacy gift in your will to the Aberdeen Health Foundation you can make a difference in the lives that follow.
To speak to a Gift Planning Advisor contact us.