Couple’s Gift Supports Murray State University Foundation Libraries and Students
Ron (’53) and Ann (’54) Churchill
Ann and Ron Churchill, Jr. established the Churchill Family Fund for Excellence endowment at Murray State University in 2001 to support Murray State University Libraries and provide academic scholarships for full-time students graduating from Murray or Calloway County High Schools.
Because of their thoughtful planning, the Churchill Family Fund for Excellence recently received an additional gift of $189,000 from the Churchills through the remainder of a charitable gift annuity they initiated in 2008.
Ron (’53) and Ann (’54) grew up together in Murray. High school sweethearts, both are graduates of Murray High School—Ron in 1948 and Ann in 1951 when she was named Valedictorian. They were married Dec. 20, 1953. Upon earning his bachelor’s degree in math and physics from Murray State University, Ron attended the University of Cincinnati for one year until he was drafted into the military.
After his service was completed, they moved to Fostoria, Ohio, where Ron took a position with Union Carbide Products Division as a development engineer who worked on developing brushes for high altitude aircraft electrical equipment. He was awarded a patent for the approved brush grade for the electrical equipment for the Mercury, Gemini and Atlas space capsules. After a move to Lawrenceburg, Tenn., and then to Cleveland, Ohio, Ron retired after 30 years from Union Carbide. Ann earned her master’s degree from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, in 1980, and taught for 26 years.
Upon retiring, Ron and Ann moved back to Murray in 1992. The Churchills were always most at home in Murray and were active in the community throughout their retirement years. They were proud Racers and gave back to the community in many ways.
After the passing of Ron and Ann in 2021 and 2023, respectively, the remainder of the Churchill’s charitable gift annuity will now be used to support our students and academic mission, as they planned.
The Churchill’s children, Pam (Churchill) and Steve DeVoss and Ronnie Churchill, Jr. have graciously worked with Murray State University’s Office of Development to implement their parents’ wishes for this gift annuity and additional gifts to the Murray State University Foundation designated in their parents’ wills.
A charitable gift annuity is an opportunity for donors to support Murray State University while making a stable source of income in return. This type of donation provides donors with regular payments during their lifetime while also benefiting a scholarship or program—like University Libraries.
Funding a gift annuity with cash or appreciated property, can qualify individuals for a federal income tax deduction when itemizing. In addition, it can minimize capital gains taxes when funding a gift with appreciated property.
Cris Ferguson, dean of the University Libraries, is grateful for the Churchills’ generosity to Murray State University Foundation.
“Their desire to provide future support to Murray State University Libraries and scholarships to the young people speaks to their loyalty to the community they loved. We are deeply grateful for their generosity. It will enable us to continue to support students in obtaining an education, which I know was so important to both Ron and Ann,” Ferguson says.
If you’d like to support Murray State University Foundation and our students through your estate plan, contact Dr. David Durr, CFA, CFP® at 270-809-6912 and ddurr@murraystate.edu to learn how.
Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.