As you all are proabably aware by now, Heidi Strassburger, a warm and talented presence in Northern California planned giving circles passed away last month at the age of 49. She leaves behind two children, Damian and Hannah, and her partner of many years, Angie. In addition, she leaves behind many saddened planned giving colleagues, including those who share their memories of Heidi in the tribute which follows.
Heidi started her planned giving career in the UCSF planned giving program and more recently was Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs at Kaspick and Company. Her first contact with NCPGC came in 1999 as a volunteer on the conference committee where she chaired the “newcomers” program. She created an entire welcoming program – packets, greeters, follow-up – the works! She did an outstanding job — naturally — and was recruited to join the Board several years later.
Heidi became Vice-President in 2003-4 and quickly showed her talents She did a remarkable job in recruiting wonderful speakers for our luncheons and also incorporated the other professionals groups into our meetings. In 2004 she was named Board president and served in that capacity until 2006. At the time of her death she was on the board as Past President.
For all those who knew Heidi, I hope you enjoy these reminiscences from the various planned giving professionals who knew her. In Heidi's honor, the NCPGC Board of Directors has established the Heidi Strassburger Fund to support the NCPGC Master's Lecture Series. If you would like to contribute to this Fund, you can do so via this following link: I would like to donate to the Fund.
Tom Horton
Reminiscences of Heidi Strassburger
From NCPGC Members
November 10, 2008
- Heidi was always there with a smile, a big heart and a helping hand.
Robert P. Cabrera, CTFA
Bank of the West
Wealth Management Group - I had the privilege of working with Heidi as a fellow planned giving officer at UCSF in the late 90’s, until my departure for UC Berkeley. Her estate and gift tax knowledge was comprehensive and her sense of humor and people skills combined to create a superb asset to the program. She was also a dear friend and I miss her very much.
Enid C. Pollack, J.D.
Associate Director of Development
College Relations - College of Engineering
University of California, Berkeley - Regrettably, I did not have the honor of knowing Heidi. I look forward to reading of her special contributions to the field.
Sincerely,
Robin Venuti
Director of Development
Monterey Museum of Art - I will miss Heidi’s wicked sense of humor. She never missed an opportunity when she was Vice President, then President of the Council, to slip in a joke during in her role as MC. Just when I thought it might not happen she would pull it off again, often in deadpan.
Greg Lassonde
- When I learned the news of Heidi’s passing I couldn’t help but feel a very deep loss and sadness. Serving on the NCPGC Board for several years with Heidi I learned so much from her. Her legislative updates and her leadership served our planned giving community in the Bay Area so well. Her wit and intelligence will be missed but not forgotten.
Donna M. Bandelloni
Director of Gift Planning
Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health - Heidi was one of those people that always had an answer and always the right one to any question or problem. She was a wealth of information and knowledge about her career specialty and was very willing to share that to help you, whether professionally or personally. Working with her on the NCPGC board taught me a great deal about working with many members that all had different opinions and how to achieve consensus among its members in a congenial and constructive way. When Heidi joined Kaspick & Company, it was like the rest of the planned giving world on a national level could then share in what we experienced for many years on a local level. My condolences to family and friends.
William E. Sheehan Jr. '80MBA
Director of Planned Giving
Santa Clara University - Heidi was always very calm, thoughtful, cheerful and approachable and was obviously up to date and very knowledgeable on the technical side of our charitable planning area. She also was very courageous and was never reluctant to state her opinion. I remember at one of the National Assembly of Delegates, it was obvious that the meeting was heading into a potentially very contentious area. At just the right time, Heidi stood up in this very large gathering, expressed her thoughts very clearly and succinctly and actually changed the course of the meeting. She will be missed terribly by all of us at NCPGC.
Darryl D. Ott
Former Board Member and Former President of NCPGC - I had the pleasure of working closely with Heidi, as her Vice President, during her two-year term as President of the NCPGC Board. During that time, I watched and learned, as she modeled for me a style of leadership to which I have aspired, one that is respectful yet firm. I watched and learned from her as she dealt with tricky issues with grace, and moved people towards common-sense solutions. The last time I saw her was at our annual conference in May, where I had the honor of introducing her session, and then the pleasure of listening to her well-crafted, practical and useful presentation. Her session was one of the highest-rated sessions of the day. At the end of that day, I walked over to the speakers' dinner with her and sat next to her throughout the dinner, never dreaming that this would be my last opportunity to enjoy her company. I missed her at the first NCPGC Board meeting she could not attend, in June, and I continue to miss her. She was my mentor and my friend.
Jill S. Dodd
Manatt¦Phelps¦Phillips - I first met Heidi in 2000 at a NCPGC meeting, at the time she was working at UCSF. I will always remember her comment on being introduced to me..."So you are Linda Keith". The comment makes sense in light of the fact that I had worked at UCSF from 1985 to 1995. A number of years later I had the good fortune and pleasure to work for Heidi. I came to admire her for her knowledge and expertise in the field of charitable giving and trust administration. She will be missed by those who knew her and worked with her.
Linda Keith, Consultant
- I just liked to be with Heidi. We talked about a lot of things; complex gift situations, legislative strategy, and our lives. But I valued Heidi much more for her deeper qualities. To me she had a wise old soul. She had a relaxed and certain and comforting quality about her. She knew a lot about the law and tax and other practical things, but all that seemed to get sifted and sorted through something much deeper, so that her actions always came out in the right way. I am very glad to have been her friend and miss her greatly.
Earl Blauner
Senior Director, Gift Planning and Endowment
Northern California Public Broadcasting - The thing I remember the most about Heidi was her sense of humor. When we spoke about anything the conversation usually ended with her big hearty laugh. I will miss that. She was a very pleasant person to be around and truly knowledgable about planned giving matters. I never took her up on her kids' availabilty to baby sit - she lived right around the corner from me, but I would see her many times in her mini- van transporting her kids here and there. She was someone who seemed to enjoy life and will be missed.
Thomas Horton
Planned Giving Director
Guide Dogs For the Blind
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