Planned Giving

Donors Plan Ahead to Ensure Future Funding For UAB Programs

Mary and Keith Bowers Make Lasting Gift to UAB Athletics

Mary and Keith Bowers

Keith A. and the late Mary D. Bowers generously designated a significant gift from a family trust to benefit UAB Athletics. The majority of the funds will be used toward the new softball facility, and the rest will be applied to a future capital project for the baseball program.

“Mary is the reason we decided to give this gift,” Mr. Bowers says. “She was quite an athlete in her day. We started going to athletic events when we started going together, and she got me into women’s sports, showing me they can be just as athletic as men. We supported UAB Athletics for nearly 30 years. Through this, Mary became friends with [UAB softball coach] Marla Townsend and decided that with these funds she wanted to help provide an optimum experience for UAB’s student-athletes.”

UAB Athletic Director Brian Mackin says the gift will have a lasting impact on the athletics program. “When you build new facilities, it shows the commitment not only by the athletic department but also by the university,” he says. “After we built the new softball facility on campus, we soon went to two back-to-back NCAA softball tournaments. It also has increased our competitive edge in recruiting, and it has shown on the field and in the classroom.

“I was very humbled that the Bowers thought this much of our program that they would leave this substantial gift with the UAB athletic department,” Mackin adds. “They’ve always been great fans, but to give us this significant gift was a tremendous showing of support by them, and we are so very appreciative.”

Deane Corliss Wills Support to Center for Palliative and Supportive Care

Deane and David Corliss

Deane Corliss was a longtime, faithful supporter of UAB and the UAB Center for Palliative and Supportive Care—even at the end of her life. A bequest in her will provided a gift that will continue to support the center’s work, something about which she was passionate.

Corliss was well loved and respected at UAB. “Deane was an activist,” says Christine Ritchie, M.D., director of the Center for Palliative and Supportive Care. “When she identified an issue or a cause she believed in, she devoted herself to it. Despite a very busy law practice, she gave of herself to the center, and we all were enriched by her dedication and involvement. Much of her passion for the center emanated from her nursing background and her deep understanding of health care and the gaps palliative care could fill. The center plans on using the gift to enhance its work in supportive and palliative care, which provides whole-person care to those experiencing serious illness.”

Kristen Farmer Hall, director of development for the Center for Palliative and Supportive Care, adds, “Deane was a very dear friend of the center, serving on the board for many, many years. When we were notified by her husband, David, who is a retired UAB professor, that she had made a gift in her will, we were honored.”

The Torchlighters Society

A reception was held on May 11 for members of the UAB Torchlighters Society. The society was established to recognize those donors who have remembered the university in their estate plans or have made a planned gift outside of their estate, providing vital financial support for students, faculty, patients, the local community, Alabama, and beyond. Membership includes an invitation to donor appreciation events and opportunities to gather with UAB administrators, faculty, students, and other university supporters. If you have made arrangements for a deferred gift to UAB, are considering a planned gift, or are interested in more information about membership in the society, contact Elizabeth Ponder, director of planned giving, at (205) 934-0759 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The UAB Office of Planned Giving can help you develop a plan to benefit you, your family, and UAB. Any details of your gift and estate plans will be held in the strictest confidence. It is your decision whether to be recognized as a member of the Torchlighters Society or to remain anonymous.

Maintaining the Momentum / Summer 2011