The gift of a lifetime.Made possible by you.

Neil Modi, BCL/LLB’08

Legacy Giving Newsletter 2019

McGill University has been part of me for 25 years, and I hope I’m involved with it for the rest of my life. That is not something I imagined myself saying when I graduated.

My academic experience at McGill was not a perfect one; I was a good high school student who struggled in university. But McGill shaped me in a number of ways: I developed intellectually, matured emotionally, and I became a more resilient person. When I decided to move across the country to Calgary, my fellow alumni became my second family.

Since then I’ve gone from studying neuroscience to owning my own company – something that I couldn’t have done without a good education. I count McGill among the best universities in the world, and I think that my time there helped make me a better human being.

I’ve had the opportunity to return to campus, attend classes and tour labs. When I talk to students and learn the needs of the University, I’m motivated to make it even better. As a result, I have made gifts in support of students in the Faculty of Science at both the undergraduate and graduate levels: the Clark Science Undergraduate Research Awards (SURA), the Clark Science Executive Leadership Fund, as well as other student-focused initiatives. They will be sustained by my bequest.

The University recently launched Made by McGill: the Campaign for Our Third Century, and part of the bold vision of this campaign is to continue to shape future-ready students with the skills and knowledge to make the world a better place. It’s a goal I support, and planned giving will help achieve that goal.

I wish to extend a sincere thank you to those who have already generously made a gift. Please join us, and pledge your planned gift today.

Jeremy E. Clark, BSc’98

Faculty of Science Advisory Board, McGill Alumni Association Honours & Awards Committee, Clark Science Executive Leadership Fund, and Campaign Cabinet, McGill University

A Word From a McGill Volunteer

Jeremy E. Clark with Clark SURA recipients.

through international charities, and “was always giving of his time and experience.”

When it came time to discuss his estate, McGill came out on top because of “its stature as a leading university, my brother’s cherished memories, and how education gives people a leg up: it broadens horizons and impacts lives. He would’ve been thrilled that [his gift] was in people’s hands so quickly and being put to good use. And when people give to you, you remember it, and pass it on.”

Karin dismisses the idea that her brother considered himself a philanthropist. “That’s just Klaus.” Nevertheless, his influence will last for generations.

“Two hundred years from now, it’s still going to be here. This is another extraordinary thing that my brother has done that will impact many people’s lives.”

Jochem pursued many interests, but education and a sense of duty to give back were common threads. Both were influenced by Karin and Klaus’ father, Hans Josef Jochem. Hans emigrated from Germany with very little and found success in Montreal, for which “he was always grateful,” says Macpherson. “My father would tell stories about those who helped us. He recognized that we all need help; no one does it alone.”

The elder Jochem is named in the bursary, which was deliberate on her brother’s part. “Klaus had a debt of gratitude to my father for what he did for our family, and they had similar values.”

Jochem’s upbringing, as well as his time spent abroad and in developing countries, would inspire him to give back in many ways during his lifetime. He fought to control infectious disease in Nepal, sponsored foster children

The late Dr. Klaus Jochem, MDCM’85, still stands as a giant in the eyes of his sister, Karin Macpherson.

She describes him as a “renaissance man,” recounting his time spent as a field doctor in remote Nepal, a scholar at several prestigious universities, and his enthusiasm for literature, history and the piano.

Jochem passed away in November 2017, but his passion for learning has lived on. Macpherson was the executor of her brother’s estate, which left a bequest to establish the Hans Josef and Klaus Jochem Bursary. In less than two years the bursary has already provided generous financial support to 13 students, and will continue in perpetuity.

“It may prove to be the best thing that Klaus did in his life, which was already full.”

Remembering a Renaissance Man

This bursary has allowed me to do so much – stay in school, focus on my studies, and help my family rest a bit financially. Without it, I couldn’t play [McGill] football. I’d like to thank the donor very much for the help he’s given me. It took the pressure off, and I’m sure it did the same for the other recipients as well.”

Jean Exume, studying Social Work Hans Josef and Klaus Jochem Bursary

He would’ve been thrilled that [his gift] was in people’s hands so quickly and being put to good use.

– Karin Macpherson

Dr. Klaus Jochem, MDCM’85

Prepared to break barriers. Made possible by you.

As a recipient of the Vladimir J. Elgart Scholarship, I have been able to focus on my studies and pursue my goals without having to stress about my financial situation. I am so thankful for the opportunity to earn a rich education at McGill, filled with countless invaluable experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.”

Kathy Tam studying Neuroscience Vladimir J. Elgart Scholarship

The generosity of donors like Margaret Cathcart and her family has a meaningful and lasting impact on the education, careers, and lives of so many students. It’s certainly had a lasting impact on mine, and I cannot begin to thank them enough.”

Kayleigh-Ann Clegg BASc’13, PhD candidate Thomson-Cathcart Bursary in Arts

My team and I witness on a daily basis how philanthropy can change a student’s life. It makes all the difference in recruiting the best students to McGill, as well as ensuring that deserving and needy students can flourish and have the most impactful McGill experience possible – both in and outside the classroom.

Cara Piperni Director, Scholarships & Student Aid, McGill University

The primary clientele for need-based aid at McGill are first-time, first-degree, full-time students. 3,000+: The number of one-on-one aid appointments conducted by Financial Aid Counsellors across both McGill campuses in 2017-18. In the past six years there have been 88% more aid recipients and 191% more aid dollars allotted to underrepresented groups, including first generation and Indigenous students, students with disabilities, and students with dependents. Fact: McGill’s Scholarships and Student Aid office does not have the resources to meet all needs.

Source: 2017/18 Report on Scholarships and Student Aid

Did You Know?Student Aid Facts

McGill Law also shaped his view of the world: “I tend to take a global perspective of issues, and look at things from different angles. That’s engrained in you at McGill, and it’s carried through my career to this day.”

Neil currently practices in the areas of corporate law and immigration in Toronto. He has remained active with McGill Law, serving on the Young Alumni Board and mentoring lawyers on his team (which includes McGill grads). Now he and his partner, former McGill employee Alain Saumur, are planning a bequest to establish a bursary for LGBTQ+ law students in financial need.

“My partner and I are in the process of estate planning, and giving back was at the top of our to-do list. McGill Law is already a great place to be, and we wanted to help someone else be a part of it. If it provides a bit of assistance, or allows them to pursue other activities and community involvement while at McGill, it will have a ripple effect in a positive way.”

His greater goal is to foster McGill Law’s environment of generosity and inclusiveness, “and perhaps motivate others to do the same. McGill gave us so much, and we wanted to give back. This was a meaningful way to support McGill in the long term.”

Student life in McGill’s Faculty of Law came as a shock for Neil Modi, BCL/LLB’08 – but in the best possible way.

“Before I started, I had planned to immerse myself in my studies and focus on the academic aspect of being a law student,” says Neil. “What I found was a true sense of community in the student body, which I decided to fully embrace.”

Neil was inspired to take on an active role within the Faculty. As a student he served on the McGill Faculty of Law Admissions Committee, was elected to the McGill Law Students Association and the McGill Faculty of Law Council, and engaged with OutLaw McGill, a club for LGBTQ+ law students and supporters.

“Being at McGill and in Montreal meant I was able to partake in LGBTQ+ activities on campus – I had a lot of support from the community at McGill when I was a student. It helped me come out of my shell, and being a student representative gave me a unique opportunity to foster an inclusive environment in Law.”

Finding a Community

“McGill Law is already a great place to be, and we wanted to help someone else be a part of it.”

– Neil Modi, BCL/LLB’08

Neil Modi (right) at a McGill Law Young Alumni Cocktail.

1430 Peel St., Montreal, QC, H3A 3T3, Canadamcgill.ca/pg

Toll Free 1-800-567-5175 T. 514-398-3560plannedgifts.dev@mcgill.ca

McGill 1821 & Macdonald Legacy Societies

McGill University owes its very existence to the foresight of a generous planned gift. The University was founded in 1821 with a bequest from the estate of Scottish-born Montreal merchant James McGill.

Today, the McGill 1821 Society and the Macdonald Legacy Society recognize and honour all alumni and friends who have chosen to remember the University in their estate plans, or through another type of planned gift. Join us! Make your planned gift today by contacting the Bequests and Planned Gifts office.

Bequests andPlanned Gi�s

The Dean’s Legacy Fund is an opportunity for donors to support a Faculty’s most pressing needs and exciting opportunities – each and every year, in perpetuity.

By designating your bequest to the Dean’s Legacy Fund, you will provide annual support to the same areas you championed during your lifetime. Your planned gift will foster new discoveries and create exceptional student experiences for generations to come.

The Dean’s Legacy Fund: Perpetuate Your Annual Gift

I would like to offer my heartfelt gratitude for the tremendous support we have seen directed towards our Faculty’s Dean’s Legacy Fund. It is helping to provide our students with the tools required to tackle some of the most critical issues facing society today: world hunger, malnutrition, environmental degradation, and water scarcity. It has empowered the Faculty to fund our students’ greatest needs, and respond to emerging challenges and opportunities that could one day change the world we live in.

Anja Geitmann Dean, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University

From left to right: Christina Vroom, Donna Henchey, Nella Malacria, Anna Galati, Trish Duff, Cynthia Gordon and Susan Reid.

McGill University is profoundly grateful for the bequests gifted by alumni and friends. Listed below are bequests received by the University over the course of the past year, which ended on April 30, 2019.

Wing Chan Succession Robert Coppenrath Estate of Evelyn Fergus Estate of Hadassa Gottheil The Norma Gregg Alter Ego Trust Estate of Patricia Hayes Estate of Anne M. Hughes Estate of Maureen Isabel Hunt

Estate of Antony Jefferson FRCS Estate of Klaus Jochem Winnifred C. Jones, née Fairhead Estate of Ruth Keys Arthur D. Kracke, MDCM ‘58 Estate of Christopher Lethbridge Mildred E. Maclean Estate of Donald Mooney Estate of Jack Reade Estate of Phyllis Reeves Dr. Robert S. Remis Estate of Jane E. Row F. Graham Sommer Estate of William Reid Waters Estate of Barbara J. Whitley

Generous Benefactors Remembered