Medical Diplomat Betty Lou Tucker Makes Estate Plan Gift to Support Stroke Program

Betty Lou Tucker

Betty Lou Tucker grew up on her family’s farm in Pennsylvania. While her parents were not wealthy, they set an example for her and her siblings by helping others. Her grandmother was in the same house, and the family members took care of one another. “When you live in a little town,” Betty Lou says, “everyone takes care of one another.”

She and her late husband were very involved in their community and supported charities in Maryland. They learned how lending your name to a fundraising project could encourage others to give. They relocated to Naples 21 years ago. “We had both been patients at NCH and always received stellar care,” she says. “At the end of one year, my husband said we had a little extra money left to give and asked me where I would like to give it. I chose NCH.”

The gift brought them into the Medical Diplomats Council annual leadership giving organization, and they began attending the hospital balls. After her husband’s stroke, Betty Lou developed a better understanding of the value of the care provided and the importance of teaching people to recognize the signs of stroke. In memory of her husband, she established an estate plan gift through her irrevocable trust to support the stroke program at NCH. After her husband passed away, she found another person to share cycling, opera, and NCH activities with: her significant other, Karl Wiedamann.

“I tell quite a few people to become Medical Diplomats,” she says. “Many people feel good by giving of themselves. The case for supporting the hospital is good. You can give it all to Uncle Sam or you can give it to charity.”