Mary and Bob Courtemanche

Mary and Bob Courtemanche still smile when they describe their years of raising two boys, now ages 33 and 30. "There were stitches—lots of stitches," Mrs. Courtemanche laughs. Their go-to hospital: Morristown Medical Center.

That's why she said yes in 2008 when a friend asked her to join the board of the Women's Association of Morristown Medical Center.

"I felt that it would be a great way to say ‘thank you' for all the times they had stitched up one of our sons or put on a cast or whatever needed to be done," she says.

She had no idea then that she would later serve as president of the association, which raises almost $1 million annually for the hospital. It's nearly a full-time job, including oversight of nearly 1,300 volunteers who manage everything from the biannual Mansion in May fundraiser to the crocheting of blankets for Goryeb Children's Hospital.

The couple has also stepped up to support Morristown Medical Center. In 2015, their gift helped fulfill funding needs for the new Nancy and Skippy Weinstein Inpatient Hospice and Palliative Care Center. Recently, they made a commitment to include Morristown Medical Center in their estate plan.

"It was a natural extension of our support of the hospital," says Mr. Courtemanche, "given what all the doctors and nurses have done for our family over the years."

But it's about much more than that. As Mrs. Courtemanche notes, their participation places them in a long line of people who cared enough to give back, starting with Myra Brookfield, whose home and property bequest set the foundation for the hospital in 1889.

"It's incredibly important to have a good medical facility in your backyard," Mrs. Courtemanche says. "The hospital's tagline is right: It's all about creating a trusted network of caring."

To learn more about making a gift to the Foundation for Morristown Medical Center in your will, contact Cynthia W. O'Donnell, JD, at 973.593.2418 or cynthia.odonnell@atlantichealth.org.