Don & Barb Myers: Leaving a Legacy of Opportunity
If you ask Don and Barb Myers how they attained their retirement goal of living in the Regents’ Glen Country Club community, they will graciously say it was due to the opportunities they received throughout their lifetime.
Don spent almost his entire career working with troubled youth, which is fitting, since by his own admission, he himself was a troubled youth.
Things could have gone differently for Don. He was raised by a single mother on Pershing and Princess Streets in York City. He recalls getting into trouble quite often and believes that it was his love of basketball that led him to the YMCA of York County, and ultimately changed the trajectory of his life. “The Y saved my life. It gave me a place to participate in activities after school and kept me off the streets,” he said with a grateful smile.
As an adult, Don returned to the YMCA as a sports and fitness instructor, giving children like himself an opportunity to be part of something positive. He later joined the staff of St. Matthew Lutheran Church as Director of Youth Work and founded the Youth Center, a program which served 1,600 members of both the City and County of York.
Don’s second favorite thing to do was listening to musical bands playing in the bandshells across city parks. “Every night of the week, you could find music at a different park,” he recalls. Adding, “Between all of the live performances and sporting events, York was a busy place.”
Barb also grew up in York City and returned after graduating from Dover Area High School. She was hired by York Bank and had the opportunity to attend IBM computer programmer training in Philadelphia. With her new credentials, Barb later became the head of data processing in her department.
Barb had fond memories of visiting the downtown department stores in her youth and always admired the architecture. “It’s so nice to see the older buildings being restored, instead of being torn down. It’s really exciting to see shops and people returning to the downtown district,” remarked Barb.
The Myers’ feel extremely grateful for all the wonderful opportunities and second chances they were given and were searching for ways to give back to their community. By working with a friend and local estate planning advisor, Bill Anstine, they discussed ways to support the community that supported them. Bill recommended they work with the Community Foundation to help them create a legacy of support for all the causes they cherish.
Working with our development team, Don and Barb created the Donald and Barbara Myers Endowment Fund to support the YMCA, arts and culture, downtown revitalization, and the parks of York City. This earned them a place in YCCF’s 1749 Society – our way of recognizing individuals whose estate planning includes a gift to York County Community Foundation.
Don and Barb can now enjoy their retirement, knowing their fund will benefit future generations in York.
