Rotary Foundation vs 101-year-old Philanthropic Benefactor

"I miss him very much. And as far as I'm concerned, we both decided this is the way we wanted the money to go to help people in our part of the world. I'm talking about real people in our part of the world who are helping our people and that's what he wanted."

"I can't believe that Rotary could be so mean and so greedy and tell lies about me."

"They never said they were sorry [when he died]. I just feel terrible about it."

"As far as I'm concerned, all they are doing is delay tactics asking how much money I have in the bank."

Mary McEachern, Widow, 101, Edmonton 

"As is often the case with many Rotary members, Mr. McEachern named The Rotary Foundation Canada as a beneficiary in his last will for the purpose of supporting Rotary's humanitarian programs."

"We regret that this issue is still with the courts and look forward to a timely and reasonable resolution while still honouring Mr. McEachern's lifelong dedication to Rotary."

Eva Vida, president, Rotary Foundation Canada

Mary and Steve McEachern were long-time philanthropists. Mary said Steve changed his mind late in life about which charities he wanted to donate his fortune to, but he died before he could amend his will. (Supplied)

Steve and Mary McEachern were lifelong major donors to the Rotary Foundation Canada. Working for Investors Group Wealth Management for 65 years, Steve McEachern made his fortune. As a longtime Rotarian and donor to multiple other charities, he held volunteer board positions. Rotary among them. According to Mary McEachern, she was deeply disappointed that despite her husband's involvement with the charity on many levels, there had never been a formal acknowledgement of his death at age 99 in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

His will had stipulated that the Rotary Foundation would be the sole beneficiary to his fortune of $40 million, aside from his widow's living expenses looked after by the estate. However, Mary McEachern explained her late husband's change of mind shortly prior to his death, and in that interim period had been unable to amend his will. The new plan was that the estate would be shared with numerous charities in Canada. Accordingly, Rotary Canad was offered $13 million, but they chose to challenge Mary's version of Steve's estate in court.

Understandably, it is Mary McEachern's desire that Rotary respect her late husband's decision, emphasizing that her husband's and her lifetime savings should be partitioned to support not just one charity whose work is done overseas, but to support numerous Canadian charities whose focus is within Canada itself. On Mary's death the plan they devised is to distribute the estate, sharing it with local and national charities, such as SARS, Hope Mission, Edmonton Humane Society, the Mustard Seed Foundation, The Salvation Army in Alberta and northern territories, St. John Council for Alberta, University Hospital Foundation, Edmonton Public Schools, Strathcona High School and a bursary in Mary's name for nursing graduate students at the University of Alberta.

The 101-year-old widow had plans to donate as well to the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Alzheimer Society of Canada, Cowichan Valley Hospice Society, Heat and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Parkinson Canada, Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, CNIB Foundation, and Wings of Providence. A broad spectrum of Canadian charitable groups, all of which would be earmarked to share in the estate of her late husband. 

 

That Rotary refuses to consider the wishes of Mary McEachern speaking as her husband's confidant and inheritor, bespeaks a puzzling lack of ethical judgement.

Mary McEachern speaks of her husband's involvement with the Rotary Club Southside as a holder of board positions with the group, as well as with the University of Alberta Hospital Foundation. He had donated to the Air Force Commemorative Site at the Village at Griesback, AISH, Investment Club Prime Time Group, 4-H Foundation, Edmonton Community Foundation Scona Memorial for Veterans and others.

Mary McEachern, a 101-year-old widow, is in a legal battle with Rotary Foundation of Canada over her late husband's $40-million estate. Photo by Greg Southam /Postmedia