Brocks Plan Gifts from Their IRA

Heather and Bruce Brock both enjoyed interesting careers. They’re retired now, pursuing their interests in Florida, but they feel strongly about the importance of vision and of serving the most marginalized. So they have placed Orbis in their estate plan, naming Orbis as the partial recipient of the required minimum distributions out of their individual retirement accounts. They’ve also named Orbis in their wills. They’re leaving a legacy of vision.

“The countries that are so poor—that’s where my heart gravitates,” says Heather, who now volunteers with several charities. “I work with those who are less fortunate—through no fault of their own. That Orbis also works with them really appeals to me. A lot of my volunteer work, and Orbis’s work, is in the very poor areas. It’s gratifying to see.”

Bruce was an Air Force pilot flying hospital planes for eight and a half years, a staff officer in the Air Force Reserve for nearly 12 years, and an airline pilot for Northwest and Delta—and now he pilots his own small plane. He is grateful for the good eyesight he has enjoyed.

“Very good sight is essential to flight. Reading your instrumentation and depth perception for take off and landing are essential. I fly two or three times a week, practicing approaches, flying up and down the coastline, relaxing a little, and enjoying the view. In a small airplane you very much need your eyes—for collision avoidance, for example! I want to continue flying. I get a thorough eye exam every year.”

Heather was in corporate management of retail stores and involved in product placement. It was a career where she needed her vision too.

As a former hospital-plane pilot, Bruce appreciates the Orbis Flying Eye Hospital.

“Orbis facilitates not only treatment but trains the local medical people who can work when the plane is no longer there. It has an impact literally on millions of people, and that’s impressive. Losing your sight has got to be a tragedy; and if you’re poor, it’s even harder. Even impaired sight is a huge handicap—eyesight is critical to keeping a job.”

Their interest in vision includes sponsoring a black lab who began training in August 2020 to be a Seeing Eye Dog. They also enjoy their dog Beau, who was training to be a Seeing Eye Dog but flunked—he kept chasing lizards.

Bruce and Heather said they choose their charities carefully. “To us, it was obvious to have Orbis as one of our charities.”

To join the Brocks in leaving a legacy of vision, please contact us to request easy wording to include Orbis in your estate plan. By doing so, you will become an Orbis Visionary Club member with special privileges. And, like the Brocks, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that you are leaving a legacy of vision for the most marginalized.