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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Robinson endowment to help Christmas Fund

Moriah Balingit Staff writer

When Mary J. Robinson died in August, she left behind the memory of an intelligent, fun-loving and extremely generous woman who made a mean lasagna and kept herself busy by doing community service after her retirement from real estate and banking in 1989.

To continue her legacy, Robinson established a $50,000 endowment through the Inland Northwest Community Foundation to benefit The Spokesman-Review’s Christmas Fund. A portion of the interest generated by the $50,000 will be donated to the Christmas Fund each year, while the rest will be reinvested with the fund. Mark Hurtubise, the foundation’s president and CEO, said the fund’s principal has the potential to double or triple in the next two decades, increasing the amount that is donated to the Christmas Fund every year.

“She was able to accomplish a variety of things: She created a permanent asset, she honored her parents and she was able to benefit hundreds of people every year,” he said.

The endowment, named for Robinson’s parents, Guy and Ruth Reed, will benefit the Christmas Fund forever. The first donation of about $200 will be made next year.

Robinson was active in the Episcopal Church and with a number of community service organizations, including Crosswalk, an organization that fed homeless teenagers. Robinson would make a few trays of her famous lasagna every month.

“It’s the best (lasagna) I’ve ever had,” said Bill Robinson, her son. “It’s one of the things she used to laugh about. When she brought it there, there were never any leftovers.”

Bill Robinson said she wanted to donate to the fund because the idea of a Christmas without presents was too upsetting.

“We were fortunate enough to have Christmas gifts,” he said. “It’s just such a worthwhile cause. To think of some little poor boy or girl to wake up and not have presents … it’s just devastating.”