Lifetime of Service Includes Estate Gift

Maureen Roskoph began volunteering for the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford in 1973, and attorney Paul Roskoph has for many years been helping people give to charity through their estates, so it makes perfect sense that their estate plan includes the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health as a beneficiary.

"I started volunteering with the hospital when our children were very young," said Maureen, now the grandmother of five. "I wanted to spend my time somewhere that really made a difference."

Maureen began her hospital service with the Palo Alto Auxiliary, helping with the restaurant at the historic Allied Arts Guild in Menlo Park. The Palo Alto Auxiliary, which was founded back in 1931, is now running the annual American Doll Fashion Show, drawing more than 1,500 guests each year. In 1990 Maureen joined the Roth Auxiliary that operates the hospital gift shop; all gift proceeds are donated back to the hospital to cover the cost of uncompensated care of patients admitted through the emergency department.

Maureen also is on the Auxiliaries Endowment Committee for the Foundation, is a reader for children in the newly established "Reading Program" for children in the heart and cancer centers and serves as a "cuddler," volunteering to spend time holding babies at the hospital.

Paul is a sought-after speaker on estate and tax planning and a champion of creating charitable legacies. He obtained a certification as a taxation specialist under the California Board of Legal Specialization in 1975 and as a specialist in probate, estate planning, and trust Law in 1990—when that specialty was first created. He is a frequent speaker on estate and tax planning, both to professionals and to the general public, and he works with high-net-worth individuals, venture capitalists, and private foundations.

Paul has served as president of the Boards of Alzheimer's Association of the Greater Bay Area, the Santa Clara/San Benito Counties Chapter of the American Lung Association and more recently, Avenidas in Palo Alto. A native of Cleveland, Paul obtained his undergraduate degree in accounting and his law degree from The Ohio State University, where he met Maureen, who also is from Cleveland. They have one son and one daughter and live in Menlo Park, not far from the hospital.

The Roskophs consulted with the Foundation's gift planning department when creating their estate gift in 2007.

"We believe in charitable giving and in community involvement—and in the hospital's mission," Paul said. "I encourage people to include charities in their estate plan."

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