World War II veteran Elmer McClintock passed away in February at the age of 97, but his legacy is fundamentally rooted on hospital grounds. McClintock was a member of the Sister Alphonsus Legacy Society, a group of members who have left gifts in their will or state trust to be donated to the hospital.
“Through his passing, he left a legacy gift,” said Megan Martinez, manager of marketing and communications at Dignity Health—St. Mary Medical Center. “So, we thought there was no better way to recognize him and thank him for his efforts by memorializing him here with this magnolia tree… It’s a great way to have your family remembered and to benefit the community.”
[aesop_image imgwidth=”450px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Screen-Shot-2016-04-28-at-3.13.37-PM.png” align=”right” lightbox=”on” caption=”St. Mary Medical Center officials Paul Czajka (left), COO of hospital administration, and Drew Gagner (right), foundation president, were on-hand during the tree-planting dedication on April 22. ” captionposition=”right”] McClintock was a big supporter of St. Mary Hospital. One of the things the World War II veteran loved about the center was the inclusion of single-patient rooms.
“Private rooms were a real thing that he valued in his time that he had spent here at St. Mary,” Martinez said.
The center received a donation of four trees from the City of Long Beach’s Sustainability Department.
[aesop_image imgwidth=”350px” img=”http://www.signaltribunenewspaper.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Screen-Shot-2016-04-28-at-3.13.31-PM.png” align=”left” lightbox=”on” caption=”Staff at Dignity Health—St. Mary Medical Center planted and dedicated Magnolia trees on the hospital campus in celebration of Earth Day on April 22. St. Mary also dedicated a tree to World War II veteran Elmer McClintock, who passed away in February. ” captionposition=”left”] The trees also serve as a symbol to preserve nature and support the City’s widespread ecology efforts, said Sister Celeste Trahan, vice president of Mission Integration at St. Mary Medical Center.
“In honor of Earth Day, we have focused our efforts on preservation of the Earth, the use of recycling so that we use our resources properly and to be able to share the Earth that we have with others,” Trahan said. “We are continually improving our efforts at supporting the ecology initiative within Dignity Health.”
The tree-planting ceremony also served as a tribute to the sisters who founded the hospital 93 years ago. The founders were part of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate World, a religious institution.
Drew Gagner, foundation president of St. Mary Medical Center, recited a statement in honor of the tree planting and the various honors the event dedicated itself to.
“’The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit,” ‘ Gagner recited. “And I don’t think there’s anything more true than a place like St. Mary. You think about the sisters that started the hospital 93 years ago who were invited to this community, and then working hand-in-hand with physician partners, nurses, caregivers— that legacy and always taking care of people and never being concerned about recognition and what’s going to happen next. They have set a precedent for a future. 93 years have passed, and may we live 93 years longer. Amen to Earth Day.”
